Black Dog
by untitled1494
Summary: The Marauders' seventh year at Hogwarts and Sirius takes notice of someone he hadn't before. What'll happen when she isn't too easily swooned? SB/OC LE/JP
1. Chapter 1

Sofia Marie Erosa hugged her mother for the last time, before she boarded the Hogwarts Express for the second-to-last time.

"Madre, I have to go! The train leaves at eleven!"

"I know, mi hija, but I'm going to miss you so much! What am I going to do without you around the house? You were such help this summer!"

"Yeah, after my birthday. Listen, mamá, I'll write once a week, and the year will be over before we know it. Now I have to go, te amo, mamá!" Sofi said, running towards the whistling train with her trunk, and the cage of her jet black barn owl, Holly. She walked with her things down the crowded aisles of the train looking for her friends. She checked in the windows of all, and even mistakenly opened the doors of some before finding Alice Prewett and Charlotte Ellis alone in a compartment filled with luggage, talking and laughing loudly.

Alice was a tall figure, standing at about 5'8'', she had bright blonde hair that fell neatly just above her shoulders. She had very large brown eyes. She was very beautiful, and many-a-men pined for her, but she had been seeing a one Frank Longbottom since last year, and he had graduated that same year, reluctantly leaving her for another year at Hogwarts with her many admirers. Alice was the stereotypical girl of the group. That one that fussed over guys, and make-up, and shoes. She kept the girls feeling pretty and feminine. Charlotte, who preferred to be called only Char, was the exact opposite of Alice. She was only an inch shorter than Alice, but well built. She played on the Gryffindor quidditch team, and she had the muscles to prove it. She, too, was very pretty, had mouse-brown curls that hung loosely in large ringlets, and for as long as Sofi had known her, she'd worn the front pieces, those near her face, pinned back to the sides. She could never hold up a long lasting relationship like Alice's, she was more... popular. She was what some would call a slut, and she knew it. She was the out-going one of the group. She kept them all on their toes, and complemented Alice in making sure they weren't feeling _too _feminine.

Sofi, in contrast to her friends, had a slim, 5'4'' frame. They towered above her, and made fun of her for it, but she didn't mind much. She had almost black hair, stick straight, and almost waist length, with bangs that swooped to the side of her face. Her olive-toned skin was proof of her Spanish origin, raised in Barcelona by her widowed mother until she turned eleven, when she went to Hogwarts, as was the wish of her late father, who had also attended there. Sofi was the shy one. She didn't speak much to people other than her friends. She was more rational than her friends, who were sensitive, and hot tempered. She was the voice of reason, the logic of the four.

They had a fourth member in their group, Lily Evans, the smart one; the responsible one-- no where to be seen. She had dark red hair that was above her waist, and bright green, almond shaped eyes. Many men had pined for her as well, but most were deterred by her most fervant admirer.

"Where's Lily?" Sofi asked Charlotte and Alice, when they were done greeting each other. (As Sofi spends her summers in Spain with her mother, they don't get to see each other much during holidays).

"She got Head Girl, she's up in the prefects department now. Seemed happy when she stopped in to tell us, but I doubt she'll be happy when she finds out who her partner for the year will be," Alice laughed. Sofi looked at her questioningly. Charlotte giggled uncharacteristically. "Mr. James Potter, can you believe it?"

"Not even in the slightest," Sofi said in her newly accent-less English. "We will never hear the end of this!" She put on a high pitched, mock-Lily voice, "Of all the people in our year! Unbelieveable. That James Potter is the biggest troublemaker, the most arrogant arse the school had ever _seen_!" The three of them laughed as the compartment door slid opened and the voice of Sirius Black spoke out:

"Why, Erosa, you simply _must _be talking about me! I'd be so offended if you weren't." He came in and sat down next to Sofi. She blushed at being addressed so directly. He was followed, as per usual, by Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, the former of which sat by Alice, the latter taking a seat on the floor.

"Oh, Black, don't you worry your misplaced pride to be hurt! I'm sure you're the most troublesome boy in our year," Charlotte said, "But we were talking about your Head-Boy-better-half."

"Aah, yes, Prong's Head Boy-ship. That _will _be a damper on our fun this year..." Sirius contemplated.

"Oh, Padfoot, I'm sure you'll carry on without him just fine," Remus said.

"You say 'you'll' as if I'll be doing it alone," quipped Sirius. Peter, from the floor, shook his head vigorously. Remus sighed, and decided to change the subject.

"So, Char, Sofi, Alice, how were your breaks?" He asked politely.

"Okay, I suppose." Sofi said.

"Facinating," Sirius said sarcastically.

"Well Frank and I spent more or less the entire summer together. I'm going to miss him so much this year," Alice pouted. Remus patted her on the shoulder.

"Cheer up, Alice! Get some new man this year. There are bigger fish in the sea," Charlotte chirped. Alice shot her a playful glare, knowing she was joking.

"I'm sorry, Miss Promiscuous, but we can't all have two week relationships of snogging in broom cupboards."

"I-beg-to-dif-fer!" Sirius said in a sing-song voice. He and Charlotte high fived. Remus and Alice shook their heads, Peter and Sofi laughed.

After talking for a good hour or so, the six were interrupted by the door sliding open and Lily's melodic, high, voice ringing through the compartment, even as she shouted out of it. "Potter, this is _my _compartment stop follow--" She stopped speaking as she saw the extra three in the space.

"Well, Lily-kins, it would seem that this is my compartment as well!" Came James' cheerful voice from over her shoulder.

"All marauders, get out! Go!" Lily said, clearly exasperated. They obeyed without protest. James pouting.

Lily sighed as she closed the door behind them.

"Well, let's hear it." Alice said expectantly.

"What?" Lily asked, clearly bemused.

"I _cannot_ believe that Dumbledore appointed _James Potter _to Head Boy!" Charlotte imitated.

"As if _he's _ever done a _single_ responsible thing in his entire life!" Sofi continued.

Alice helped too, "He thinks he's _so _cool! When really he's nothing but a--"

"Selfish, arrogant toerag!" The three finished in unison, laughing. Lily looked affronted, but there was a hint of a smile on her tight lips.

"With those four, and you three, I don't know how I'll _ever _make it through this year!" She said as she flung herself down on the seat next to Sofi.

Sofia:

After the feast was over, Lily, Char, Alice and I, made our way up to the Gryffindor tower, and collapsed in the common room.

"I am _so _glad to be back" Lily said.

"Seconded," I agreed.

"Petunia was dreadful, as usual. Ugh. And now that I'm of age my parents were eager to see 'all the little tricks I've been learning!"'

We laughed. "Well, my sisters and brothers have been teasing me since I got here that they could do magic and I couldn't, but man, did they regret it this summer. Ha!" Char laughed.

"Mi madre took every advantage she could of my new ability to do magic. 'So-fi, can you do the dishes? So-fi-a! Get the laundry done so we can go to the movies!' I swear, I was Cinderella!" Lily laughed, but Char and Alice, both pure-bloods, looked confused at the name of the muggle fairy-tale princess. We soon went up to the dorms, where we unpacked our things, and greeted our other room-mates, Ella and Emma Landour, twins, long unpacked.

Char took out her old fat cat, Stitches, who looked around contemptuously at everyone before stalking behind the beds.

"Hey, Sofi, you think Stitches could sleep at the end of _your _bed this year, seeing as you've got the extra space," Char jokingly asked. I narrowed my eyes at her, then went to the bathroom to shower. On my way there, I ran into Sirius, who was on his way to the boys' lavatory it seemed.

"How's it going, short stuff?" Sirius had even more right than Char with the short jokes, he stood at about a towering 6'2'', almost a full foot taller than myself.

I chuckled at his joke, "Pretty good. How 'bout yourself? I heard the weather up there can get kind of chilly this time of year, " I quipped back with mock concern. He laughed. I almost never have conversations alone with anyone but Lily, Char, or Alice. It was quite the oddity, but it would be so rude not to talk to him.

"Alright, I'll take that." Just then a sixth year girl named Maya passed by. She was very pretty, with a full chest, and long, blond hair. As she passed, I knew Sirius' move before he did. "Hey, Sofi, see you later!" he turned to go the other direction. "Hey! Maya!" I was almost glad that the short conversation was over.

Sirius was, by reputation, a womanizer. He had snogged with just about every girl in our year, and the year that had just graduated, and was now, I guess, making his way through the year below us. He had once snogged with Char, but they're both so casual with those things, it blew over in the span of a minute. Lily was off limits by proclamation of James, and Alice by Frank. He and I never got together, I guess, because I've always been very shy, with guys especially. I mean, I'd been on a couple dates, even had a kiss or two, but never actually _snogging_, and I was perfectly satisfied with that, I certainly wasn't expecting anything more. I would never have thought things would change in my last year at Hogwarts.

Sirius:

After the sorting, the speech, the feast, the gang and I headed up to the common room, than straight to our dorm, that we shared with no one, thankfully. After talking, and unpacking for a period, James lay on his bed, reading a letter, marveling at all his Head Boy perks. "Blimey, Lily and I get our own common room! With its own fire and library, she'll love that..." Remus was on his bed, reading a textbook of some sort. I scoffed to myself, Remus was the smart one of the group, always reading. Peter was on the floor, leaning up against his four-poster, practicing a certain charm over and over.

I was done unpacking, and still felt gross from the train ride, so I decided to go down to the lavatory for a shower, meeting Sofi on the way. I look over-- almost down-- at her figure and say "How's it going, short stuff?" She laughs silently, and replies with a comment on my own height. I notice her old slight Spanish accent is gone, and she speaks English perfectly. She didn't speak much on the train. Come to think of it, she doesn't speak much at all. I was about to say something about her accent, or lack there of, when a sixth year walked by, practically begging for me to follow. I said goodbye to Sofi quickly, rudely, to go talk to Maya. I'll have to apologize for that later.

Later it occurs to me, as I ever-so-seductively kiss Maya goodnight after a talk in the common room, that I've dated--well, snogged-- everyone in my own year, with three exceptions. Excepting Lily, of course... and Alice, that Frank Longbottom had always had his eyes on her, wouldn't want to cross _him._ And... except for Sofi. I wouldn't want to mess up a friendship like that, but we hadn't always been good friends. She doesn't see many people at all; I wonder why that is? She's very pretty, hot, even. The kind of girl who caught your attention until you saw how closed up she was, and somehow, then, she didn't seem worth the trouble. She had always been very shy: if addressed directly, she would give short answers that didn't provoke any further questioning or conversation. I really hardly knew anything at all about her. I knew she was Spanish, I'd gathered that from her accent, now gone, and Char said something in a summer's letter about her being in Spain. I knew she's amazing with potions and herbology, I'd seen her in action in the classroom. Perhaps she was an aspiring healer? She seemed compassionate enough, the job would fit her. She is very kind, I don't think I've ever heard a cruel sentence from her lips, not that full sentences were a regular occurrence. But just because she was kind, didn't mean she wasn't up for a prank or two. When Lily was reprimanding us for our mis-deeds so many times last year, she never said anything, smiled at a lot of them.

"HEY! Padfoot?!"

"Huh? What?" He came abruptly from his thoughts. "What?"

"Where were you mate? You've been out of it for minutes," James said, looking almost concerned. Remus had looked up from his book.

"I was just thinking about Sofi. She's very quiet, what does anyone really know about her?" I asked, sounding more casual than I felt.

"She's from Spain," Peter said.

"Wow, thanks, Wormy, great help as usual," I said sarcastically.

"Well, from her accent, she certainly can't be South American," Remus said, more to himself than to us. "And it sounds like kind of northern Spain, maybe Zaragoza or Barcelona."

"Do these random bits of insight fall from the sky?" James asked, looking up.

"She doesn't have the accent anymore, I was just talking to her." I pointed out, ignoring James.

"Really? I hadn't noticed on the train..." Remus said.

"Yeah, well, she doesn't say much," James said casually.

"But that's just my point!" I said, jumping a little to move my position on the bed. "She doesn't say _anything! _Why not?"

"Well, she's just shy. You can't actually demand that she be comfortable around you, Sirius," Peter said, in a rare moment of insight.

"Peter's right," Remus said, James scoffed. "She is who she is."

"I want to know more about her."

"Why so interested in her all the sudden?" James asked, picking up his letter again, losing interest.

"I don't really know..."


	2. Chapter 2

Sofia:

First morning of classes. Shouldn't be too bad, I was only taking the classes I liked: Potions, charms, herbology, ancient runes, arithmancy, transfiguration. I wanted to be a healer, and Professor McGonagall told me in my fifth year I was on the right track, and that with this war going on, it shouldn't be difficult to get a job healing at all. At breakfast in the Great Hall, McGonagall handed out our timetables. All four of the marauders, Lily, and Alice, wanted to be aurors, so they were taking potions, charms, and transfiguration with me. Char wanted to be a curse breaker, she had arithmancy and ancient runes with me, so I was really only alone in herbology. I was quite happy with my schedule.

"So, Sofi, what do you want to do after this year?" Sirius asked me, sitting down, late, next to me. It was odd enough talking to him last night, but he'd just addressed me directly in a group of other people he could've asked. I hated being singled out. But as usual, I didn't show it; I opened my mouth to answer, but Alice did it for me.

"She wants to be a healer, don't you think she'd be great? She already knows a lot of the basics." Sirius looked satisfied with the answer, but at the same time disappointed. Remus was looking from Sirius to me. "Did you learn things like that in herbology or...?" Sirius gave Remus a look like he was thanking him. Just exactly what was going on?! I looked at Remus suspiciously, before looking down at my plate, and answering.

"Madame Andale retired last year, and she taught a lot of stuff to her apprentice, Madame Pomfrey, young woman, very kind. She taught me a lot of basics, and I also sat in on some of her lessons with Madame Andale." I said, then filled my mouth with eggs as an excuse not to talk any further. I like the marauders, but I don't know them well enough to talk to them. Now, the four of them were staring at me like I had grown a second head. Admittedly, that was probably more than they had ever heard me speak at once. Remus was kind enough to smoothly transition into another subject.

"Well that's very interesting. I didn't know Andale retired, though, she's been a lot of help to me over the years." I had my suspicions of Remus' condition, but as long as he was okay, I didn't care to pry.

The rest of breakfast passed smoothly, no more singling Sofia out, thank goodness! I suppose I should be more social, but I just can't bring myself to.

Later, I walked with Lily and Alice to potions, the marauders trailing behind us. When we got to the dungeons, I could smell something brewing, and I hoped that we wouldn't be doing anything messy on our first day. Slughorn ambled into the room in that airy manor of his. He was the most prejudiced teacher I had, choosing favorites from the moment they get sorted. I was not one of them, but he didn't dislike me, so that was good.

"Now, I know, normally, I let you chose you partners now, and have you keep them till the end of term. However, to take the sorting hat's advice, I'm going to assign you partners from the other house. This class seems to be Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, we shouldn't have too many problems... at least until Quidditch starts..." Slughorn flicked his wand, and last names appeared above the desks. EROSA hovered above a seat in the back corner, next to BLACK. That's odd, I thought, Sirius and I are in the same house. I pointed this out to Slughorn, who looked confused for a second then said: "No matter! I'm sure only a Gryffindor is brave enough to work with this young man, anyway." And with that, I took my seat next under the slowly disappearing EROSA and next to Sirius and BLACK.

"What's the matter, Erosa, you don't think you can handle me?" Sirius had a grin plastered on his face. He was very attractive, I couldn't help but smile back, but I didn't say anything.

The day's lesson was about the Draught of Living Death, something I had read about thoroughly in a healing book in the library. I visited the medicinal section of the library often; not only did it have my favorite reads, but it was in the back corner, where not many people knew, sat an armchair next to a small fireplace that rarely had more than embers in it. Already knowing the theory, I brewed the potion easily; Sirius had a hard time keeping up. "Wait-- so if you just added the Essence of Murlap, shouldn't the potion be..." Sirius looked back at the text book. "'A bright pink emitting a billowy red smoke'?"

"No, Black, I just added the gurdy roots. Now when I add the Murlap, and stir ten times counter clockwise..." I explained, the potion turned the described pink, then after the stirring, turned the described blood red. "Finished." We still had fifteen minutes before Slughorn made rounds, I could feel him readying to talk, to ask me more things. I braced myself. He first asked me why I didn't talk, then about where I'm from, why I went to school in England, why my accent is gone, a lot of things. I was squirming in my seat at first, uncomfortable at giving so much information at once, but Sirius was good to talk to. He listened, and wasn't too rude. I even got in a good couple of questions. I asked him about his family, he told me that they were all a bunch of dark wizards, I found it interesting, but I wasn't going to ask him any more, especially after he had questioned me to no end. I still don't know why he's so interested in me all of the sudden.

Sirius:

The next day, I woke up early, and went down to Slughorn's office. The map showed he was in the great hall for breakfast--not that I needed the map to tell me that-- and that Filch was patrolling along the fifth floor, with Mrs. Norris. I had gotten my timetables early, before breakfast, so I knew I had Potions first, and could guess that Sofi did too. The seating chart on Slughorn's desk showed that she did. I had over heard Slughorn talking to another professor about his plan of assigned seating to help house unity after the sorting in the great hall, but I had different plans. My slipping grades, and curiosity of Sofi were motive enough to sneak into Slughorn's office and change the seating chart-- easy.

Getting to the Great Hall for the end of breakfast, I squeezed in next to Sofi, and asked her of her career plans. She looked like she was about to say something, but Alice answered. "She wants to be a healer. Don't you think she'd be great? She already knows a lot of the basics." I was glad my suspicions were confirmed, but I found myself feeling deprived of a chance to hear Sofi's voice more. Then Remus inquired further towards her, and I shot him a grateful look. She then spoke about learning to heal with Madame Andale and her replacement. I found it surprising she spoke so much, and so did James and Peter, from the looks on their faces. Remus, though, I knew only heard that Madame Andale had retired, a compromising factor to our monthly escapades. She had known of Remus' furry little problem, and had even figured out about James Peter and me being animagi. A new healer meant new problems.

Walking to Potions, we were behind Sofi, Alice, and Lily. I thought more about Sofi. I felt an obsession growing. The fact of the matter, was, though, Sofi was a challenge to me. I loved challenges.

My seating chart editing worked, and Sofi noticed, I could tell. Please, don't point it out, don't point it out! "Excuse me, Professor Sulghorn? Black and I are in the same house...?" All right, Slughorn, don't change it, please don't change it! He didn't, and I sighed in relief. Remus, from across the room, cast me a pointed look. I smiled mischeiviously in return.

I was going to use the opportunity that day, to get to know Sofi, but I soon found myself caught up in the work. We were brewing the Draught of Living Death, and every last move, ingredient, stir, was exact and precise. Should one tiny detail go wrong the potion would be fatal. Sofi, of course, knew exactly what she was doing, but try as she might to explain it to me, I couldn't understand it. Though, I did hear her speak in that one class, more than I'd ever heard her speak in all six previous years at Hogwarts. Her voice wasn't abnormally high, or low, but it had a ringing to it, a certain tone that almost made me expect it to echo after every syllable. Her tone was always sweet, patient, never getting fed up with my inadequacy. We finished early, and then I took my shots.

"You don't talk much do you?" I asked, and cocked my head at her. She sighed, looking defeated. Maybe I shouldn't have asked...? Should've just kept my mouth shut...? But she answered in the same patient tone.

"Never been much of a talker, I guess." There it was. The short answer gave no room for questioning, and if I questioned anyway, I would sound pushy, rude even. So, what to do? I said nothing, turned away from her to face the front of the classroom, and sighed heavily. That should do the trick.

Sofi sighed and--was that an eye roll? "English isn't my first language, you know. When I got here first year, I made a point of not talking much, because I was afraid I would mess up and someone would make fun of me. Also, I was very embarrassed by my accent. I guess the no talking thing just kind of stuck," She said, sounding defeated, as if she were determined not to talk, and I had broken her.

"Well, I've heard you speak more today than I have in any of our other six years combined."

Sofi laughed. "Yeah, it wouldn't be like that if I had a choice in the matter."

"Oh, so I forced you to talk to me?" I asked skeptically, knowing full well that she wouldn't have said a word if I weren't behind any of it.

Sofi turned to the front of the classroom, and let out an exaggerated sigh in an imitation of me before, than looked back at me through the corner of her eye, a smile at the corner of her lips. "Okay, okay, but you didn't have to talk," I laughed.

"What was I supposed to do, watch you pout the rest of class?"

"Well. While I have you talking, I have a few other questions."

"Of course you do." I ignored her and continued.

"I know you're Spanish, right?" She nodded. "What part of Spain?"

"I'm from Barcelona. My mother and I love there in the summer, and when I go to school, she stays with a relative. She's very excited to return permanently, but I don't know. I mean, I love it there, and I miss it very much, but I know so many people here, in the wizarding world, where as I know none there. How am I supposed to transition?"

I made a mental note of Remus' correct assumption she was from Barcelona, he said northern Spain.

"I wouldn't know. If you lived in Spain before, why did you come to school here? I mean, it's a pretty long commute." She smiled softly at my joke, and I felt something weird in my stomach.

"My... umm... my father-- he passed away when I was ten, he--he moved to England with his family when he was a little boy, and he went here. Used to say it was the best school in Europe, that I deserved nothing less than the best." She looked down, a sad look on her face. I wanted to console her, but I had no idea what to say.

"I'm so sorry" She nodded in response. "But I, errr, I noticed that your accent is gone this year?"

"Yeah, I worked on it over the summer. It's like having a load lifted." She looked slightly better at the change of subject, I knew I had made the right choice.

"Well, I didn't really mind it," I said, truthfully. I never took any notice of it. Or her.

"Yeah, sure. But what about you? I mean, I know you live with James over the summer, but, I mean, don't you have a family?" She asked me a question. I immediately felt bad for questioning her, I didn't want to talk to her about me. Though, I guess she's as curious as I am, or she's trying to turn the subject away from herself.

"Me? A family? Naaaaah." I said, she laughed, but she looked at me questioningly, like she wanted to know more. "They... umm... They sort of disowned me. Or I ran away, I don't know which came first. It was mutual. I guess I'm just not what they expected me to be, and they're a whole lot of dark wizards and Voldemort followers, so I'm not making any effort to be anything they want me to be."

"That stinks."

"To no end." I was about to turn the topic back to her when Slughorn got to our table. He practically had his nose in the thick, bubbling liquid before he came up and spoke. "Excellent work Sirius, and Sofia, my dear, as usual!" Then moved on to the next table. We were dismissed soon, and Sofi and I, it seemed, were done talking. I wasn't satisfied, though. There was something so intriguing about her. I just couldn't put my finger on why.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N _Right, here's chapter three. Reviews are always appreciated!_

Sofia:

The whole day of classes passed rather quickly. I was assigned an essay by McGonagall about the different kinds of human transfiguration, and I had to translate a couple paragraphs for ancient runes. I was doing so that night in the common room when I was rudely interrupted by Sirius, again.

"So we got to know each other today," He said, throwing himself at my feet on the couch I was sitting on.

"Yep." I didn't look up from my paper.

"And after getting to know you better, I propose we become friends. Better friends, than, I mean the 'Hey, my friends are friends with your friends, and we spend time together but not really' kind of friends, you know?"

Something was going on. Why had Sirius taken an interest in me now? I wasn't going to ask, because that'd be rude, but I was curious. "Sure. Whatever, yeah." I said, hardly giving him the attention I knew he wanted. I wasn't going to make this a big deal.

"Oh. Well… okay, I'll see you later then." He looked confused and disappointed as he stood up and went up the stairs to the dormitories.

When I had finished my homework, I, too, went upstairs to the dormitories, and began to undress for bed. Emma, Ella, Alice, and Char were there but Lily was missing. Char noticed my confusion in looking around the room. "Curfew duties with Jamsie dearest! Oh, man I can't wait to see what comes of this!" She said, with her crooked, something's up smile.

"I think it's so cute, cliché, even!" Alice said. "Boy loves girl. Girl pretends she doesn't love him back, but inside, yearns for him more than she ever has another being. They share a common room, go on patrols together, and soon enough she's sharing her feelings for him, shouting them to the world, as he's done for her for years." Alice sat down on her bed with a sigh.

Char and I chuckled at her. "Dear Lord, Alice. You are too poetic for your own good," I said.

"Yeah, you could've stopped at 'it's cliché' we would've gotten it." Char threw in. We like to tease each other. For Alice, a common thing we made fun of was her hopeless inner romantic. Or actually, it's not inner at all.

She shot me a look. "Speaking of cliché, _Sofi, _don't you think that each of the ardent Head's best friends together would be kind of… cheesy?"

"What? What are you going on about?"

"I'm lost as well, Char."

"I'm talking about Sofi and Sirius. They were chatting it up today in Potions, weren't you?" Alice said to me. Probably the most ridiculous thing I've heard all day, but I blushed all the same.

"That is absolutely ridiculous!" I say to Alice. "He's my partner, what am I supposed to do, ignore him?"

"Well, someone's defensive." Alice said, laughing a little.

Char pointed at my face. "And would you look at the blood rushing under that tan skin of hers!"

"Oh would you two be quiet! Es ridículo!"

"Oh-ho! She's breaking out the _Spanish_! We _know_ she's for real, now, people!" Char said. I threw my pillow at her. We were all laughing, when Lily came in, fuming. The sight of her raging green eyes sobered us up, we ceased our giggling at once.

"I cannot _stand _that James Potter!"

"What else is new?" I said to her. Mistake, she shot me a glare. "Sorry!" I put my hands up apologetically.

"He spent the whole time telling me he had a whole grand scheme, to get me to 'fall for him'. So, of course, I told him that he couldn't do any more rule breaking, because he's Head Boy. He looked me right in the eye and said 'All's fair in love and war'. AAARGH!" With a colossal eye roll, Lily collapsed onto her bed in a huff. "And then, he told me that I could put a stop to his plan, only if—"

"You go out with him." Alice finished for her. "He may be annoying, but you got to give him credit. He's very crafty, and not many guys are that persistent."

"Yeah, and he's got a _nice_ body," Char said.

"As if any of that changes that he's the most obnoxious git on the planet," Lily said.

"How would you know that, Char?" I asked.

"Quidditch," She said simply, "That's one of the main things that keep me going to practice." I chuckled and shook my head at her. Lily just looked on disbelievingly.

"How can you talk about his body, have you ever even had a _conversation_ with him?!"

"Of course!" Char said. "He's not that bad, you know."

Lily pulled a face. "Oh, Lils, when will you admit that you love him and become the better half of the world's cutest couple?" Alice said, sounding love-struck, herself.

"You people are sickening. I'm going to bed!" Lily said sticking her tongue out at us.

"The sooner to see her precious James in her sleep," I remarked. Char chuckled, and Lily sighed.

"Ridiculous." And with that, she flicked her wand and the lights went out. Falling asleep, I was thinking about Sirius, all of questions, and his 'proposal' to be closer friends. All of it had a weird undertone to it; something was off, and I'd be damned if I wouldn't find out what it is, and soon.

Sirius:

First day back and I had mountains of homework, of course. I was coming back from the James' Head common room (to which I had already learned the password and helped myself extensively to the private library and re-filling basket of candy) and going to the Gryffindor one to get a start on it, when I saw Sofi lounging on a couch by the fireplace. Her dark hair was in her face, but she didn't bother with it. Concentrating hard, her tongue stuck out, just a little to the side of her mouth. It was very cute. I acted on impulse.

"So we got to know each other today," I said, sitting down by her feet at the end of the couch.

"Yep." She sounded like she didn't care, and she didn't even look up. Why didn't she care?

"And after getting to know you better, I propose we become friends. Better friends, than, I mean the 'Hey, my friends are friends with your friends, and we spend time together but not really' kind of friends, you know?" I thought it was a very nice thing to do, a kind offer, and she said to me:

"Sure. Whatever, yeah." I couldn't believe it. She still wasn't even looking at me. It was just rude.

"Oh. Well… okay, I'll see you later, then." Instead of staying to work on my homework with her, as I had originally planned, I went up to do it in the dormitory. Remus was already there, Peter seemed to be sleeping already.

"Why the long face, Pad?" The way he said it, the look in his face said he already knew.

"Nothing. No reason." And I sat on my bed, and worked on my homework for about an hour, until James came storming in, a look of mixed amusement and worry on his face.

"All right gang!" He shouted, flinging open the door.

"What? I'm fine, I promise!" Peter said waking up.

"Good to know," I said in his direction, before turning to Jams, an expectant look on my face.

"We need a plan," He said sounding desperate. "Fast."

"Oh boy," Remus said. But I looked on excitedly; I needed something to distract myself from Sofi.

James told us about patrolling. He had told Lily that he had a plan to get her with him, and that there wasn't anything she could do to stop it. "_Except _go out with me. I was kind of counting on that to work, and wasn't thinking about having an actual plan."

"You really thought she'd say yes _this _time, because of _that?_" Peter asked.

"Be quiet, Wormy. "

"Well, I'd say the only logical plan would be to get her to spend time with you, see who you really are." I was actually thinking about a different two people when I said this, but I'm sure in theory it would work.

"Padfoot's right. If you maybe lay off on the pranks for a while, be a little kinder, than she'll realize how she feels about you sooner or later," Remus said.

James sighed. "I'm getting impatient. I don't know how much longer I can take this shit. She _knows _I'd go through hell and back for her, and I'm _sure _ that buried deep down there, she has feelings for me too. I just don't know if it's even worth it anymore."

"Well, you have been trying for the better part of seven years, mate."

"Stop that, Sirius. James loves her! Do you?"

"More than I'd prefer."

"Than you deserve to go after her with every thing you've got. I won't let you give up," Moony was always enthusiastic about these things. I think he was just living vicariously; he couldn't date because of his condition, but he wanted to make sure the rest of us were happy. Or not:

"But speaking of obsessions," he continued with a smirk. I did not like where this was going. "Sirius, it seems, has quite grown to our little Mediterranean friend, haven't you?"

I groaned, and turned on to my stomach on my bed; said into my pillow. "Leave me alone!"

James was looking from Remus to me, confused. "Sofi? What's going on?"  
"I don't know if you noticed, James, but Sofi and Sirius are partners in Potions this year."

"But Slughorn gave us all Ravenclaw partners!" Peter said.

"Yeah, how'd that happen?"

"I, myself, was wondering the same," Remus said. "Sirius? Care to enlighten us?"

"Okay, fine! I switched the seating chart! But I needed a smart partner anyway, Sofi really helped me today!" I said defensively. It was true, she had taught me way more than Slughorn or that ratty old book did.

"Why, if I didn't know better, I'd say Paddy _fancies _our short Spanish friend!" James said, a wicked grin on his face.

"Yeah, well, good thing you know better, then," I say grumpily. I didn't fancy Sofi, we're only friends. I've always wanted a close friend that's a girl, and Sofi is the perfect candidate. "We're just friends."

"Yeah."

"Sure."

"I _believe _you!" The over done sarcasm in James voice let me know he was feeling better about Lily, which any day is a tricky thing to make happen, but at my expense? I sighed.

"Come on, you guys know me. When in all my days of Hogwarts have I ever actually _fancied _anyone?"

"Never," Peter said, a hint of awe in his voice.

"But when in all your days of Hogwarts have you ever wanted to _befriend _a girl, and claim nothing more?" Remus said.

"Ack!" I said, caught. James laughed.

"You're done, Pad. Just go to sleep." He continued laughing. Remus quite the smug little grim on his face. What if I were to just stop being friends with Sofi? That would show them. But somehow, the idea of it sounded like something I definitely didn't want to do. I didn't think of it much, though, because Remus soon turned out the lights, and I fell asleep swiftly as I normally do.

A/N _I'm always looking to improve. If you have constructive criticism, suggestions, praise, I'd love to hear it, por favor. That's why the review button is there!_


	4. Chapter 4

A/N_ Thanks so much to those who reviewed, it made me smile! In response to some: Hagrid said in the beginning of Sorcerer's Stone that James & Lily were Head Boy and Girl. I was confused too. There will be a little background on Voldemort's reign, but nothing that really affects the plot, sorry. I love harsh reviews, keep em coming! Lastly I'd like to say that I do not speak Spanish. I'm going into high school span.3 so if I get something wrong and you catch it, please, please, PLEASE correct me!_

_Sorry abt the monologue, here's what you actually want to read:_

Sofia:

It was Saturday. The month or so of classes had passed quickly, but I was exhausted from them. So, it would be easy to understand my frustration when Char was kind enough to wake me with a cry of: _Aguamenti! _And a stream of water to the face. Outstanding.

"Rise and shine, Shorty!" She said. I opened my eyes a little to see Alice on her bed writing a letter, Char walking in the door with a towel wrapped around her hair, and Lily walking out the door, to get a towel and go shower.

"_Pero no quiero despertarme_," I said grumpily.

"Sofia Marie! I have been telling you for over six years now to stop speaking Spanish. _You. Are. In. Eng-land._ Nobody knows what the bloody hell you're saying!" Char said, throwing her hands up in the air. I laughed at her.

"Maybe you should just learn Spanish, then we could conspire behind everyone's back, because _we're in Eng-land _and they wouldn't understand."

Char looked as if she was truly contemplating it for a minute, and then gave up on the notion. "How would I tell you to stop speaking Spanish, in Spanish?" She paused. "Solely for the purposes of irony, of course."

"_Vete, _Char, go away."

"Would you two shut up? I'm trying to concentrate!" Alice said, exasperated, from her bed. Char rolled her eyes and leaned in to whisper: "She's been writing that letter to Frank since nine. Ah, the lengths to which love can drive you!" She finished, sounding almost like Alice, were it not for the mocking tone.

I got up then, begrudged. My stomach grumbled audibly. Char cackled wickedly. "Oh, how time just flies! I must've forgotten to wake you for breakfast! Oops." I looked at my watch; it was 9:50, breakfast ended in ten minutes. I quickly shot Char a mutinous glare before yet even more quickly pulling on a t-shirt and robes, and near sprinting to the Great Hall. When I got there, I sat down at the first seat, and started putting eggs and bacon on my plate. I ate quickly, but not obnoxiously, and helped myself to seconds.

"Hungry, there, Erosa?" I jumped at the voice of Sirius, for I hadn't even realized it was he that I was sitting next to. I looked up at him, muted by a full mouth, and nodded with a closed-mouth smirk.

"It would seem that, you, as well, rushed down out of bed for last-minute-left-over's," He said. His hair was almost as messy as James', his robes were on backwards, and he had an almost scraped clean plate. He looked disoriented, but somehow, still amazingly attractive. I hoped that _I_ didn't look that disheveled, for I definitely couldn't pull it off. I swallowed thickly before responding.

"Unfortunately, that fantastic bunch I call friends didn't find it prudent to wake me until ten minutes till." I said with biting sarcasm towards Char, who frequently like to wait for a deadline to be imminent before giving a warning, solely for her own enjoyment at another's distress.

"We have similar issues, then." He said to me, flashing that dazzling crooked smile my way.

Being my Potions partner and being in a lot of my other classes, Sirius' 'Let's Be Better Friends' proposal has been nothing stressed, it just happened. It was so easy to be around him; to talk with him; to laugh with him, that I found myself almost wanting to spend more time with him. By that time, only a week passed, we were better friends than we had ever been. Not that I had ever disliked him, but I never actually considered any of the marauders my friend. Maybe Remus, but he treated everybody nicely. Sirius and I were actually friends. Simply the idea of it was a little weird.

"James woke me by screaming '_Breakfast is over in fifteen minutes! Get your arse out of bed!!!' _Then sat on his bed, contented to watch me scramble," Sirius said with the same tone of bitterness.

"Well, at least you got that, Char didn't bother to tell me until after ten minutes of reprimanding me for speaking Spanish." Sirius looked at me questioningly, and I explained. "It's a rough conversion, going an entire summer of speaking Spanish, than switching to English without transition. So excuse me if for a split-second of half-mindedness, I forget where I am, and what language to speak."

Sirius laughed his bark-like laugh. "I can't imagine speaking anything but English. I'd be horrible learning another language,"

"I knew I was a witch, and that I'd be coming here, I started learning English at nine, and was barely capable by the time I came."

"Well you may not have spoke much, but you had to have understood it well enough, you've gotten top marks for as long as I remember," Sirius said, not in awe, but with a sort of respect.

"Sirius, compared to you, everyone gets top marks!" I laughed. In reality, he was very smart, he just was lazy; or too busy pulling pranks.

"I made it to NEWT, didn't I?"

We joked around like this for the remaining two minutes of breakfast, then made our way up to the common room together, getting a couple stares on the way. Our friendship attracted quite a bit of attention in just a month. Sirius wasn't exactly known for being just friends with a girl, and I wasn't known, period. Like Harrison of the Beatles, I was just that fourth member of a group that no one knew anything about, that few could even name. (My father had been a hard-core fan of English and American 'rock and roll' and it was my favorite music, too. It had actually helped me a lot learning English, if anything it provided a motive to understand what I heard so often).

"Password?" The fat lady asked us.

"House-elves," Sirius said, and moved towards the portrait, but stopped when he saw she didn't swing open.

"WRROOOOOOONG!" The Fat Lady sang out rather loudly, as if nothing made her happier. I sighed. "A couple of elves have been loudly walking the hallways at night, waking up. I changed the password in contempt. Every time I hear 'house elves' it makes me just angry! There was a notice on the bulletin, dear." She said it apologetically, but I could tell that she wasn't sorry at all. Sirius looked at me hopefully, but I shook my head. We had both rushed out this morning, neither had time to check the bulletin board.

Defeated, we sat against the cold stone of the opposite wall, and waited for someone to come out, or go in. "I swear, one day, I am going to _stab_ her!" Sirius mumbled to me, of the Fat Lady. I snorted at him. After about forty-five minutes of sitting, waiting in vain, and talking, we finally came to the slowly approaching Halloween Ball.

"So did you hear there's going to be a Halloween masquerade ball this year?" I said.

"Did I hear? It was James' idea! Just another piece of his never ending scheme to get Lily," he said with a sigh.

"What is he planning on asking her relentlessly until she has no choice but to accept if only just to get him to stop?" I said thinking it would probably work on me.

"Just the opposite, actually. He's not going to ask her at all, in hopes that him finally backing off makes her realize how much she _wants_ him." Sirius said chuckling.

"Reverse psychology. That's actually very clever. Has a shot of working."

"Does it really? I think it's a half-arse idea. I mean, the poor girl has made it abundantly clear she wants nothing to do with him."

"No. Lily does love him. She's just too stubborn to admit it. And so far this year, he's been softening her up. They're pretty much friends!" I paused, and then realized what I'd just said. "Oh my God, but please don't tell James I said that! Lily would have me lynched or something!"

He laughed. "As long as you don't tell her about James' diabolical plan." He looked down thoughtfully, then, continued speaking. "You think if they're friends now, that they'll eventually become something more?" I couldn't tell whether he looked hopeful or worried.

"Lily? Probably. Once she sees that he isn't the self absorbed idiot she's trying to convince herself he is, she'll be head over heels before the end of the year," I said, and then took my turn at a pensive pause. "Me, though, I don't think I could go from friendship to a romantic relationship. It'd be too... I don't know, weird, I guess. I'm just more comfortable if a guy is straight with his intentions to begin with, you know? What am I saying? Of course _you _know." I laughed. "As if you've ever beaten around the bush."

My slight joke went unnoticed. Sirius looked like he had never thought harder in his life. I was bemused by the expression. What was he thinking of? Then he shook whatever deep thought had over taken him, and laughed breathlessly. "Well, what can I say? I'm not into relationships, too complicated." He sounded... unconvinced. Now I was really confused.

"What was that?"

"What?"

"You were just in like a trance or something," I said, I was going for curious, but I think it came out as suspicious.

He hesitated, and then opened his mouth to speak. However we were interrupted. Funny how the moments you wait for come always at the most inopportune times. The portrait of the Fat Lady swung open, and it was James who emerged.

"Well hello, you two, stuck from breakfast?" He snickered. Clearly, Sirius not seeing the bulletin had been his intention. "The new password is 'centaur,'" He said mock-helpfully.

"They're much quieter," The Fat Lady put in.

"James, where're you going?" Sirius asked; was that a hint of urgency I heard? Of all the tones to take...?

"Down to the Quidditch field. I--"

"I'm coming," Sirius cut him off, grabbed him by the arm, and led him down the corridor. Turning only to say "See you later, Erosa!"

What the hell had just happened?

I forgot all about it, though, as I angrily walked up to the dorm to yell at Char for getting me locked out. She wasn't there however, and when she asked Lily of Char's whereabouts she responded that she had probably gone down to the field to prepare for the Quidditch game.

"Oh, shit!" Lily shot me a reprimanding look for my language. I waved her off. "I totally forgot about the game! You'd think Sirius would've brought it up..."

"What? When did you see Sirius? Was James there?" I smiled slightly at the latter half, before answering her. "James pulled the same prank that Char did to me, so we were both late to breakfast and locked out of the common room. We were talking the whole time; he didn't mention the match once. That's probably why he left so abruptly."

After making a large sign for Char, as we always did first match of the season, we headed down early to get a good seat in the stands. We sat down, and Alice started a much undesirable conversation.

"So you and Mr. Black have been getting awfully close, haven't you?"

"Me and Black? Even if I _did _like him—I don't—he isn't capable of being in an actual relationship. Come on, Alice, you have bigger fish to fry."

"Speaking of said bigger fish, and absurd denial," She looked at me pointedly, as if to say 'we're not done here' "Why, Lily, have you been staring down not Char, but one of the chasers? Whom, might I add, looks excellent."

"Why do you care?!" Lily snapped. Alice and I looked at her affronted, as if to question her rude response. "I mean… I only meant… that—err, why do you care that I'm staring at him—looking at him—he's my friend to," She was failing miserably in explaining herself.

"You don't look at _me _with those googly, love-struck eyes!" I said in mock insult.

"They're not—I'm not—I DON'T LOVE JAMES POTTER!" She shouted, regretting it immediately, for the few who were in the stand early, and the team in the air near by all heard.

"It's times like these, Lily, that make me think you do-oo!" Who should it be, but James himself, passing by. Lily blushed, and, furious, left the stands in a huff. Alice and I were laughing, because we knew she'd be back soon in another stand to avoid confrontation.

Luckily, Alice and I got caught up in the match, and she didn't bring up Sirius again. With twelve goals by Sirius, James and the third chaser--a surprisingly talented third year by the name of Barns—opposing Hufflepuff's seven, Gryffindor was already up by thirty when Char caught the snitch, and the game ended after a short half-hour. The party in the common room lasted longer.

"Where's James?" Lily half shouted over the noise.

"I don't know! Check over there, I thought I heard him when I passed by!" I shouted in response. The common room was so loud, and stuffed with just about every single Gryffindor, that it was all the more surprising when a voice, disturbingly close, whispered in my ear:

"Hey, Short Stuff." It was Sirius, of course. I whirled around, surprised, and smiled in reply. "Come on, it's too loud in here," He said, and pulled me by the elbow out the portrait hole and down the seventh corridor, into a deserted classroom. I thought it strange that he brought me here, instead of some girl he could be snogging, but who was I to question the ever-changing ways of Sirius Black.

"My God, it was way too loud in there!" He said, sitting on a dusty old desk.

"Tell me about it. And crowded; try navigating through that crowd at my height!" Sirius and I talked in that abandoned classroom for about half an hour. The end came while we were sitting on the teacher's desk in the front of the classroom, facing an enormous window over looking the mountains.

He said: "Sofi?" and I turned my head toward him. We were inches apart, and Sirius just looked at me for a second. I looked into his deep, grey eyes, not expecting him to close the distance in an instant, and meet his lips with mine, but he did. For a moment, the smallest sliver of a second, it was ignorant, passionate bliss. Then I realized what was happening. I pushed him away from me.

"Sirius!" I looked at him, bewildered. He looked at me… hurt? It couldn't be. "Black, what the hell?" I shout at him.

He really did look hurt; I couldn't believe it. I looked at him, demanding explanation.

"I—I thought that—that." He _stuttered_. Where was Sirius Black? Who was the stuttering, hurt stranger next to me? I couldn't look at him anymore. I hopped from the desk (for my legs had been dangling off of it) and ran out of the room, leaving Sirius Black behind.

What the _hell _had just happened?!

A/N _Next chapter is Sirius' version of this whole thing, and it seems less random, I promise. I need criticism, I need suggestions, I need questions, comments, anything! Please review!!!_


	5. Chapter 5

Sirius:

"Breakfast is over in fifteen minutes, Paddy! Get your arse out of bed!" Great. What a fantastic start to the day that was. I scrambled around the dorm, pulling on my robes backwards, and not bothering to fix them. I didn't brush my teeth, or do anything with my hair before running down the secret passageway behind the one-eyed witch to the Great Hall. When I got there, I sat at the end of the table and started shoveling food in my mouth immediately, I was finishing off my first plate, when Sofi ran into the room in a similar manor that I had, and not noticing me, sat right next to me, not hesitating to eat either. Her dark brown hair didn't looked to be brushed, her robes were only half on, and she looked like she was totally out of it. I chuckled when she started her second plate, evidently as hungry as I was.

"Hungry, there, Erosa?" I asked, still laughing. Her mouth was full, but she smiled at me.

We had become very close over the last month. As far as I remember I had never been such good friends with a girl; I had never spent this much time, even, with one that I had dated. Sofi was fun. She was quirky and different, in a way, from everybody else. I enjoyed spending time with her like I did with James and Remus and Peter. No, Sofi and I didn't plot together, but we talked. We talked about everything from Lily and James to Quidditch. But we didn't talk about Quidditch that morning. I had completely forgot about the match against Hufflepuff that afternoon, and evidently so had she. I would be reminded later, though.

That morning, we talked about our friends, and she talked a little about speaking Spanish. We got locked out of the common room, and we talked about how that was probably part of James' and Char's mischievous matching plans. Our talking didn't come anywhere that morning until we were talking about James and Lily. I believe I asked Sofi if she thought that James and Lily would ever be more than friends. Her answer was this: "Lily? Probably. Once she sees that he isn't the self absorbed idiot she's trying to convince herself he is, she'll be head over heels before the end of the year," She looked down with a thoughtful face. "Me, though, I don't think I could go from friendship to a romantic relationship. It'd be too... I don't know, weird, I guess. I'm just more comfortable if a guy is straight with his intentions to begin with, you know? What am I saying? Of course _you _know." She laughed. "As if you've ever beaten around the bush." I didn't hear the second part.

I don't know why I hadn't realized before, but I liked Sofi. I fancied her. How did that happen? I don't think I've EVER fancied anyone. And she just told me she wouldn't go from friendship to a relationship. I was absolutely flabbergasted. And at that, thinking hard about it, I had always liked Sofi, since the first day of Potions. The feeling of liking someone as more than a friend; more than a sexual goal, was unfamiliar, I hadn't recognized it. I realized I'd been sitting in silence for a moment, and I looked up and chuckled with her. She asked me what I was thinking of before. My mouth prepared to speak; my brain had no idea what it was going to say. I never found out, though, because at that minute, James came out of the portrait hole. Funny sometimes how a someone can save you from two uncomfortable situations at once. Though I knew I didn't want to go into the common room. Sofi would be going there. I needed to get away from her for a while. Try and think without her intoxicating scent lingering around; without having her beautifully black eyes looking at me expecting an explanation. James was going to the Quidditch field, I needed to go anyway, I remembered. After shouting my goodbye over my shoulder to a bemused Sofi, I turned to James.

"Mate, I'm fucked."

"Whoa, watch the language, Pad. What's up?"

"I—I think I actually _fancy_ Sofi," I said with a tone of disgust.

"Ha! I knew it. Why do you say it like it's the worst thing that's happened since Filch banned Zonko's?"

"Because it is!" James didn't understand, "Love is _never_ a good thing! I'd been trying to avoid at all costs!"

"Why is it so bad, exactly?"

"Well would you take a look at where it's landed you? Pining for a girl who will never love you for over six years, without any hope of moving on, or making progress!"

"Ah, the support. You're a great friend. Actually, with the help of the Head's common room, and my new attitude, I've made a large amount of progress, this year, thank you. Lily and I are _friends._"

This made my stomach sink, as I remembered what Sofi had said. "She told me she'd never date a guy she'd been friends with." I looked down.

"Lily?! Really? Oh no, I have to go back and—"

"No, you idiot, Sofi."

"Oh, well, don't worry about it, Pad, she's probably just saying things. I bet she's falling for you too. I mean, who has ever resisted that Black charm?"

"So you think I should ask her out?"

"Oh, no. Trust me, that get's you nowhere. But you should probably find a way to tell with her how you feel."

"Hmm, maybe I will. But what if she doesn't feel the same way?"

"Then there will finally be someone to empathize with me."

"I will never be you, lover boy."

"Well that depends on how much you like Sofi."

"Ah, young love." James and I had reached the locker room by the Quidditch field, and had not realized others could hear our conversations. We whipped around now to see Char standing there already in her Quidditch robes, with the most smug, evil smile on her face. The back of my neck burned, and I could feel my cheeks reddening. "Alice is gonna flip out. The 'I-told-you-so's' will never stop coming. Sofi will _drown_."

"No. No no no no, Char, please!" I said.

"Sirius, begging? What has the world come to?" The smug smile was still there, getting bigger. Now I was _really_fucked.

"I don't even care, Char, just please, don't tell her before I do!"

"So you are going to tell her?" She asked, now looking actually looking curious.

"Well," I looked at James, who nodded. I sighed. "I guess so, but—"

"If you promise you'll tell her by tomorrow, then I won't."

"Char, _thanks_."

"Get changed, Black, the match's about to start."

We went out on the pitch before the game to practice, the highlight of which was hearing Lily from the stands shout: "I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH JAMES POTTER!" To which James actually looked pleased.

Sofi was sitting with Alice in the stands, laughing at Lily. I could hear her laugh in my mind. It was a chiming, melodic, airy laugh that I had come to hear so much. I kept stealing glances at her during the match. At one point, James passed me the quaffle whilst I was looking her way, and it hit me in the stomach, and fell below me. James looked at me knowingly; reproachfully. I looked down shamefully. I got in one goal, so James couldn't accuse me of having my head in my arse too much. After that my eyes kept wandering back to the stands; I just couldn't help it. She was beautiful. Her hair was no longer unbrushed and frizzy, but shiny and straight. I could see her shiny black eyes from way up in the air. I couldn't believe I actually liked her. After the match, (which I assumed we won based on the party in the common room) I found Sofi in the crowd, and decided now or never. She looked surprised as she turned but relaxed as she saw me. She flashed me a brilliant small smile, and my stomach flipped a little.

I led her to a deserted classroom down the hall from the common room, and we sat down next to each other. I could feel the heat radiating off of her body, I could smell the cinnamon emanating from her hair; she was too close.

"You played really well today," She told me. Was she joking? Did she see me staring at her? Oh, no my plan is ruined. But then I saw her smile up at me again, she was being serious. We talked Quidditch for about a half hour, then she told me about a similar muggle sport called football. We found ourselves soon facing the mountain-side window. The moonlight hit her face and lit up her eyes. "Sofi?" I asked, and she turned to me, with a questioning look on her face. I hate to be redundant, but was just so beautiful it was almost painful. At that point, I couldn't do anything to stop myself. It was my heart in complete control of my body, it overthrew my brain, and all logic, all reason was gone. I kissed her. I was even surprised at myself, and I could feel her shock, her astonishment, her disgust. She withdrew, and looked at me like I'd committed murder of her loved ones. Perhaps I had. She surely valued our friendship, which I might as well have just stabbed the beating heart of. Now, watching it bleed, I felt regret, and sorrow, and-- could it be heartbreak? "Black, what the hell?" She said to me. I tried to explain myself, I couldn't. There was nothing I could say that she didn't already know. I had kissed her, displaying my feelings, but she--based on the look she shot me then--didn't feel the same way. As she ran out of the room, I stayed in my spot on the desk, and I did something I hadn't since the age of nine: I cried.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N _some of you may have noticed that time passed awfully quickly in the last chapter. Sorry about that, I wasn't paying attention and I just noticed now. At any rate, if you'll ignore the glitch, can you please, please, please review?_

Sofia:

Sirius Black had upturned my life. He kissed me. And I had no idea what I felt. I mean I had enjoyed it, for a split second. But he was Sirius Black. If he kissed me, all that it meant was that he wanted to get in my pants, right? Sirius didn't like anyone, he snogged and shagged and didn't care. But if all he had wanted was to snog with me, than why had he spent so much time getting to know me; becoming my friend? Still, though, I couldn't bring myself to believe that he loved me. But what at all did it matter, if I had no idea how I felt about him? Did I really enjoy him kissing me? Or did I just enjoy being kissed?

I was cornered; I was confused, I was crying as I ran back to the common room. The crowd was dying, the only people left were the other three marauders, Lily, Char, Alice, a sixth year named Mary Macdonald with her boyfriend, snogging in a corner. James looked like he'd never been happier, Lily smiling in his direction, the rest of them in what appeared to be an intense game of exploding snap. A large one when off as I crawled through the portrait hole, and I took advantage of the smokey situation by sprinting up the stairs to the dormitory, hopefully unnoticed. I held my breath to keep in the sobs, but I did let out a small cough. When I got into the dormitory, I didn't change; I just laid in my bed, above the sheets and covers, and cried. I didn't know what to think, or what to do, or say, so I cried. I heard Char come in. She called: "Sofi, are you in there?" I knew she was about to open the red curtain. I turned on my side and pretended to sleep. I couldn't talk to her; I couldn't deal with it. She knew I wasn't really sleeping, I wasn't quiet with my crying, but by pretending I was asleep, I let her know I didn't want to talk. She was my friend, she understood. And I loved her for it.

In the morning, after I had woken up, Lily came in. I could tell she didn't know what happened, but she gave me a hug. Lily loved invariably and unconditionally. I told her calmly what happened, in the three words that best summed it up. I wasn't feeling calm, though. I had awoken with a new found anger towards a one Sirius Black. How could he mess with my head like this? Fuck being the rational one, I wasn't going to let this go.

Sirius:

I sat in that room, on that desk, with tears on my face for a long time. I don't know how long. My throat was dry, the only thing I'd had to drink since the match was a butter beer and the salty tears that rolled down my cheeks, and sometimes into the corners of my mouth. Finally, I figured no one could be in the common room any longer. The time was nearing two in the morning when I entered to find it wasn't empty. On the couch, Remus was asleep; Alice was asleep on his lap, stretched across the length of it. On a large cushy chair slept James, upon whose shoulder slept just as soundly Lily. I carefully navigated the width of the common room, cautious not to wake anyone and explain myself. However I had only just past the girls' dormitory before hearing my name called out.

"_Sirius Black_, do not keep walking until you explain to me why Sofia has been sitting in her bed, curtains drawn, _sobbing_ for the past hour and a half." It was as bitter a voice as I had heard in a long time. I stopped; when I turned she saw that my face was wet with tears; her face didn't soften. "You hurt her, Black. What did you do?" Char's tone was biting. She didn't care that I was hurt too. She couldn't give a shit. I sat down on the stairs and I looked up at her, with pleading eyes. Still, her expression didn't soften, but she came and sat next to me.

"I kissed her." Fresh tears sprung from my eyes. Char looked up as if to plead God for help with my hopeless case.

"Well, did you explain to her how you feel?" The question was stupid, and I gave her a reproachful look.

"I think she may have figured it out."

"You didn't say anything?!" Now I was lost, why did that matter? "Oh, Lord, Black, are you an idiot?"

"What? Does kissing someone mean something else now?" He asked sarcastically.

"It does for you! What girl have you kissed that you haven't soon after shagged in a broom cupboard and dumped? What girl have you kissed that you cared about?"

"Sofi," I said, still not getting the point.

Anyone else?" I thought about it, I shook my head, ashamed. What had I been doing the last six years? "You don't think Sofi's noticed that, perhaps?" Oh. Sofi thought that I was just trying to shag her. So did that mean she did like me? Well, not anymore, at any rate.

"You're right! I'm horrible, what do I do? How do I—how do I fix it? Make it right?" I demanded of Char whose face now wore pity and contempt: an odd combination.

"I didn't create this pile of shit. It's not my job to fix it."

A/N _Brace yourself; I'm branching out here with a couple different points of view. Stay with me._

Lily:

The party had been fantastic. Now, though, most people had gone up to bed. I should have too, but I stayed to watch the game of exploding snap. I was sitting with James on a large chair; we were the only two not playing. I hadn't yet admitted to anyone that I did like James. Alice and Char and Sofi would kill me with gloating. Alice and Char were playing exploding snap; they didn't see me, under James' arm, with my face in his chest, almost falling asleep. Sofi would've noticed, but I hadn't seen her since I asked earlier where to find him. James. I sighed; I swooned at the name! Who had I become? At a point, he put his face in my hair. I could hear him and feel him inhaling deeply. I moved my head to look up at him, and he looked at me back with hazel eyes so big and innocent, everything became clear to me in an instant. All the times in previous years that James had asked me out, and I told myself it was only because you're the only one resistant to his 'charm', all those years he had loved me. He meant it when he asked me out, and I had hurt him more deeply every time I said no, but he kept on anyway, because he loved me. He loved me. He loved me. And I loved him.

"Hey, James?"

"Yeah, Lily?"

"I lied earlier." He looked confused for a half minute, then his eyes lit up; I had never seen so much joy in his face. "You mean…?" I nodded. We hadn't broken eye contact yet. "Say it," He said, almost breathless. "I just—I need to hear it."

I didn't hesitate; I knew it was past time for that. "I love you, James Potter."

Then the eye contact broke, because we both moved inward swiftly, and were caught in a passionate kiss. We stayed there, on the seat for decades, kissing. He was soft to the touch: his hair, his face. His hands were on either side of my face; they were warm. I knew it was the best moment of my life so far, because it was the start of the rest of it.

I could hear Char and Alice high-fiving, and asking where Sofi and Sirius had gone, they were missing the show, but I wasn't listening. I would probably never listen again; all that mattered was the man holding me now, the man that now pulled away from my face, dropped his hands, and beamed in my direction. I smiled up at him. CRACK. At that moment the room filled with smoke and a few sparks and I couldn't see anything. Remus soon cleared it, and put out Peter's flaming hair. Char asked, "Did someone just walk through here?" But no one answered. She looked confused at the stairs, but moved on.

I fell asleep on James' shoulder a short time after that. Though I woke up for a short minute when Sirius came through the portrait hole alone. His solitude at this time would've been the most off putting thing about the scene, if not for the tears running down his cheek. I decided to play sleeping; he probably wouldn't want me to see him like that.

The next morning was Sunday, and I woke up in James' lap, his hand running through my hair. I sat up, kissed him lightly and asked, "Did you sleep well, my dear?" with that I-Just-Woke-Up tone.

"Better than I have in my short, seventeen years, love." Most people would cringe at the forwardness, I embraced it, I loved it as I loved him. I loved him. Oh, that would take some getting used to. I stood up and stretched, then walked up to the dormitory to get changed. When I got there, Char was sitting on the bed, her legs crossed, looking worriedly towards the closed curtains of Sofi's bed. I glanced over, seeing nothing unusual, and sent Char a questioning look. She got up and pointed toward the door. I went out and she followed me, closing the door softly behind her.

"Listen, I'm really happy for you and James, I am. And I'm sure when Sofi finds out she'll be elated. Though, she had a shitty day yesterday, and she's best just not bothered." Char, for being so detached with guys, is very protective and empathetic towards her girl friends. She is one of the best people to have around in times of distress. I didn't question further into Sofi's shitty day, nor did I intend to. If she wanted me to know, she'd tell me. Still, I was curious. After I went to the lavatory, I came back to the dormitory to change and Sofi was sitting up on her bed by that time. She was wearing the same clothes she was yesterday, and her eyes were red and puffy. I walked in, sat next to her, and gave her a hug. She gave a small smile afterward, and said in a voice just as small, "Sirius kissed me." I hugged her again, knowing that she'd be fine; Sofi was the strong one. When she withdrew from the second hug, she had a certain fire in her black eyes that had never looked so scary. A fire that, I knew, would end badly for Sirius Black.

James:

It happened when they were playing exploding snap in the common room, after most people had left, after the euphoria had died down. It was late, and I could tell Lily was tired. I had my arm around her, and her face was against my chest. It felt good to know that she had become so comfortable around me. Good thing Sirius wasn't there to tease her about hugging me, but where was my shaggy best mate? I lost that track of thought soon, because the smell coming from Lily's hair was enveloping me. I knew I shouldn't, but I pressed my face to her head and inhaled the scent that centered in my dreams. At that moment all I could think of was how, no matter how close we got, that scent wasn't mine, and Lily wasn't mine. It was bitter, but my love for her, my joy that she was near me at all, muffled the bitterness.

Then it happened.

She looked up from my chest, for a scary second I thought she was going to yell at me for smelling her. She just looked at me with those green, almond eyes. The eye contact was intense, and I tried to put my feelings into it. It must've worked, because then she said my name, and she told me she lied. It didn't register at first. We'd only been talking about Quidditch stats all night, the only thing she said to me before that was… It his me like a bludger to the head. Could it really be? Could it be the moment I've been waiting for since I first laid eyes on Lily Evans? I asked her to say it out loud. I needed to be sure. The potential disappointment scared me. Then it happened.

"I love you, James Potter." I could have flown without a broom, I could have walked on water; I could have shouted my news loud enough that they would have heard me in Scotland; I could've danced! But I did something instead that I had been waiting, longing to do: I kissed her. I kissed Lily Evans, and she kissed me back! She loved me. She loved me. She loved me! I'd never been happier. I never would be happier. The feeling of triumph was even trumped by my love for the woman in my hands. I gripped her face on either side as our lips and tongues continued to intertwine. I held her; I'd never let her go. Metaphorically, at least, for at that moment, I stopped kissing her, and just smiled down at her. I'd never forget this day. I'd never forget the explosion that served as the denouement to the best moment ever to have passed in the history of the universe. I'd never forget the little cough I heard, vaguely recognizing the voice of the cough was no one's in the room, which, as I learned later, was very significant.

The next morning was eventful. I awoke with Lily in my lap. I stroked her hair as I recalled the wonderfully dreamless sleep I had. It was dreamless, I knew, because there wasn't anything to dream about. My dreams had passed into reality, and I could think of nothing better than reality at this point. Lily soon woke up, and asked me how I had slept. I smiled to myself, she'd never know just how well.

It pained me to part with her, but then I realized how gross I was. So I went upstairs to change and shower. In the dormitory, Peter was still sleeping, and Sirius sat upright in his bed, staring forward blankly. He had bags under his eyes, and he was wearing his Quidditch robes still. Something had happened, and I doubted it would make a dent in my euphoria, but I was worried to find out what. Comforting Sirius with whatever predicament he was in is Remus' job. I ran back to the common room to wake him. Alice was lying with him on the couch, and they both woke up when I said, "Remus, Remus!"

"Huh? What?" Remus said groggily.

"I'm not sleeping!" Alice shouted, immediately sitting up. She looked around and a look of horror registered on her face. "Something is wrong."

"You're telling me. From the looks of it, Sirius didn't sleep, he might as well be petrified; something happened."

Remus looked worried, but Alice shook her head. "That's not it. Though, I'm pretty sure it's related…" She had a knowing look in her eye as she rushed up the girls' dorm. Something struck me.

"It's Sofi."

"What?"

"Sirius told me yesterday that he fancied her. I told him to tell her. Something probably went wrong. I thought for sure that she liked him back. This is all my fault!"

"I'm going to go talk to him, see what's up with Sofi."

I walked up to the girl's dorm, and as I came near it, Lily came out. She smiled at me. I enclosed her in a hug. "What's going on with Sofi?"

"I don't know. I still don't know the details of what happened, but—"

"But what?"

"She's mad."

A/N _Hope you liked this chapter, it's kind of all over the place. Review and tell me what you though about seeing James and Lily's points of view, if it's received well I'll continue. Though, if you have no opinion on it, I would still like you to review. _

_By the way, I wrote a one-shot about the moment Lily and James got together that was different than this. It was a while ago so my friend published it, her fanfic name is purpleabsofsteel, and the story's called _The Moment that Started it All._ Cheesy, I know. But I wrote it at two in the morning. Check it out, maybe review. Tell her (and me indirectly) what you think. _

_I'll probably get one more chapter in before I go to the beach for three weeks, but don't expect too much during that time._


	7. Chapter 7

A/N_ This chapter is more chronological than the others; when it changes view point, it doesn't go back to where the other one started. Tell if you like it. Tell me anything._

_Oh, also, long over due, but I don't own Harry Potter, or his parents, or their friends. If I did, that would make me JKR, and I don't have the talent necessary for that._

Sofia:

I had spent all day Sunday in the girls' dorm, to avoid any confrontation with Sirius; else I'd probably lose it. Really, I was normally a very cool tempered person, but the thought of him, anything about him, made my blood boil. The way I saw it, he had either falsely become my friend in hopes of snogging me and maybe later something more, or he'd been taken over by impulse that night when he'd kissed me, ruining our friendship. Though the latter was less severe—though also less likely—it was still wrong, and either way I was pissed off. I shared this though the other day, when fully explaining what had happened to my roommates, (save for Lily, who had been spending an increasing amount of time in the Head's common room) and Alice looked at me, frustrated and said: "Did you consider that he actually likes you?" Alice: always the romantic. When she had said this, Char's face contorted, though, search me, I don't know why.

"Alice, we're talking about Sirius Black, when has he ever cared for someone that he was interested in?" At this, Char blatantly cringed. What was with her?

Though, the next day was Monday, and the first thought that struck me as I reluctantly rose, was that I had Potions first thing, which would demand interaction. I still had not decided how that would happen. I could have ignored him, pretended like it hadn't happened, or exploded with rage in his face. Though I think I knew it could only end one way.

As we were walking to the Great Hall, Char leaned down and asked me if I would be all right. I didn't meet her eye as I nodded my head solemnly.

When we sat down, it was by the marauders, because Lily and James were now conjoined at the hip, and that was the only way we could be near her. As soon as we arrived, the tension was palpable. Char looked from me to Sirius, Remus looked from Sirius to me, Alice and Peter exchanged worried glances, and the happy couple were whispering mutinously to each other. I didn't look up from my plate until Sirius tried to talk.

"Sofi, I—"

"Black, I think it would be better if we just forgot this whole debacle ever happened," He looked relieved, but at the same time his apprehension was still present, and he awkwardly told me "Alright, then."

Our group walked to potions separately than the marauders, and when we finally sat down, Sirius and I next to each other, the tension was painfully unsettling. I helped him with potions, as per usual, but we made no other conversation. When the class ended, Slughorn continued praising us on our potions work.

"Really. It's fantastic. Up there with Ms. Evans and Mr. Snape, certainly. What did you say you wanted to do, Ms. Erosa?"

"Uh- I want to be a healer."

"Oh, yes. Good, good. Well, you might consider taking this young man" He motioned to Sirius, "with you. Your work has improved much with him as a partner."

"Really, Professor, it's almost entirely Sofi's work." Sirius said.

"Well, you especially, have had better marks than I've ever seen from you. So, Sofia must be teaching you something!"

It was true; I spent most class periods explaining the work to Sirius. Though I _did_ have the extra time; Potions was second nature to me.

"Well, you have other classes, you must be on your way, I'm sure."

Finally. Though I was incredibly dismayed to see that both Lily and Alice had already left. Nor, it seemed, did the rest of the Marauders wait for Sirius. Outstanding. We walked in silence for about ten minutes, before he spoke.

"Listen, I think we really should talk about this," he said.

I sighed. "Alright, then. Go for it."

"I know, that that seemed like a stupid thing to do. But, Sofi, I really, really, like you, and—"

I normally don't lose my temper. In fact, it's very rare that I do. The only time it had happened in front of a crowd was in fourth year when some Slytherin had spit in Lily's face and called her a mudblood repeatedly until she cried; I punched him in the face about three times, and shouted at his bleeding, floored face for ten minutes about what scum _he_ was and that he didn't even deserve to be left on the ground there with his life in tact, and that he should be thanking the Lord that I only killed his dignity. That was the incident often referred to as "The time Mulciber got beat up by that one Spanish girl". I got more attention than I had wanted that day.

But, then, in that somewhat crowded hallway, I lost my temper. I'm very embarrassed that I did, because it's unlike me to lose patience with anyone. "Oh. You _fancy _me. _That's _why you kissed me. I-- I can't believe that you're trying to convince me that Sirius Black fancies someone. And of all people, me!"

"What do you mean, Sofi? You're the most--"

"Spare me! Please! I know you, Sirius, and I'm no idiot! Why you did that will forever escape me, but it certainly wasn't because you like me, that much I can figure out. And to trying to convince me otherwise is just _insulting _to me, and flat out embarrassing to you, so stop! You don't owe me anything, Sirius, not even an explanation. But I'd say I deserve more than a lie, wouldn't you?"

"Of course, Sofi! I'm not--"

"I mean it. Stop." He dropped his head. I knew he was done speaking. "I'm not going to be petty, and ignore you, but I think it would be best if we just- if we stopped this."

"Stopped what?"

"You know what, Sirius, don't be an idiot."

"But Sofi, it was--"

"I'm going to Herbology. Bye." I said coldly, and turned, heading to the greenhouses, where maybe the fresh air would clear my mind, and I wouldn't have to think about what I'd just done.

Sirius:

I watched her hair swing as she walked away from me. I stood there for a few seconds, with several curious passers-by looking at me. There were enough witnesses to the event that James and them would know before I told them, and I was in no hurry to talk about it anyway. I made my way to the kitchens, where I could sit in solitude for my free period.

After tickling the pear, I was greeted by a few house elves. "Master Sirius hungry? Did he miss breakfast?"

"No, Ollie, I'm just looking to be away from my friends for a while."

"Did Misters Potter, Lupin, and Pettigrew do something in ill-spirits?"

"No someone else did, I just don't want to talk with them about it."

"The kitchen-elves will not pry, we won't."

"Thank you. Can I have some tomato soup?"

I sat in silence eating, pondering what just had happened. She didn't give me two words. She was convinced I didn't- I couldn't like her. Like I was some heartless monster, incapable of loving another being. The thought made me mad, not at Sofi, at myself. How could I live for six years at Hogwarts and really not care for anyone but James, Remus, and Peter? How could I actually create the image of someone who can't love? Now that image had brought me down, for it spread to the one person I do love, and took her away from me. What would I do now? I told myself I wouldn't become like James, pining for one person relentlessly for years of my life, even if James had eventually got the girl. Thinking of how happy the two of them were made me bitter. Why couldn't I have that? Why had I only cared for sex all these years, turning the other cheek to love? Love, the idea of it just a week ago would have made me laugh. It's nothing but dependency, I would've said. Maybe it is, but it's dependency on someone that it would kill you to be independent from. Giving someone your heart, and accepting theirs required a certain kind of trust that only love could develop. Sofi didn't trust me, and she certainly didn't love me.

A/N _Here I go again. Branching out. Please let me know if you want me to stop_.

Remus:

"And then she was all like 'I'm going to Herbology. Bye.' And she just walked out. He stood there for a while not saying anything. Have you seen him since then?" A sixth year by the name of Ellsbury finished telling us. Now that I thought about it, I hadn't seen Sirius since Potions, and the whole day had then passed. I knew we shouldn't have left the two of them there. I knew it would be a bad idea. I told James this, seeing as he was half of the couple that came up with the brilliant idea.

"Well, obviously, she did need to say something. She didn't have to be such a bitch about it, though."

"Well," said Lily, who was always around now. Normally, I'd take issue with that, but I like Lily. "She must've been really mad, I've only seen her lose her temper once." She blushed now.

"When?" James asked.

"She was standing up for me when Mulciber was being the git he is."

"That was Sofi?! I remember that day, that was hilarious!" Lily frowned at this. "Oh, God, not you getting bullied, Mulciber getting the bloody hell beat out of him by someone no more than five feet. The whole school heard about it, but I don't think anyone actually remembers Sofi for it. She's too shy."

"Yeah, well, I doubt Sirius spit at anybody, and he managed to get her pretty damn angry, from the sound of it." I said. At that moment Char came in and joined us in the common room.

"I don't blame her. I mean, think about it, the idea of Sirius actually liking someone is kind of hard to believe, plus that, combined with her unusually low self esteem, he didn't have a chance of convincing her he actually liked her."

"So Sirius isn't capable of love, now?" James said, defensive for his friend.

"No, he's not capable of a relationship." Char had a valid point, and James nodded to acknowledge that.

"So, do you guys think that he actually likes her?" Lily asked. James and Char exchanged knowing looks.

"He told us that he did, but I'm not sure." James said.

"He told you?" I looked at Char.

"I over heard. I was going to tell her, but he told me he wanted to do it."

"Maybe he _does_ like her. He did seem pretty upset last night," Peter said.

"Well, he should be," Char said.

"It was the only time he's ever been rejected," James pointed out.

"Really?" Lily looked bewildered.

"He might've just been upset at that." Alice now came down the stairs and joined the conversation.

"He was _really_ bent up about it," I put in.

"I've never seen him cry before," said the always sensitive Peter.

"He cried?!" Lily.

"Peter!" I reprimanded. "Don't mention it, please, I'm sure he's distraught enough."

"Yeah, I bet Sofi's pretty torn up too." Char said.

"What do you mean?" James asked. "Why would _she_ be upset? She was the one that ripped Sirius, not vice versa."

"Well, even though she'd face death before admitting it, I think that she probably likes him too. And now, she convinced he only hung out with her cause he wanted to get some." Char said. "Not to mention, I don't think she's ever actually _hurt _anyone before, she's probably sick with guilt, on top of that." She could be very insightful when it came to her friends.

"She wasn't guilty about Mulciber," Peter mumbled, Char smirked.

"Well, either way, we should probably do something about—" Lily was interrupted as Sofi came through the portrait hole. I saw James screw up his face; I think he was still angry at her. She came and sat next to him and Lily on the couch, though, and he relaxed his face.

"Well. I'm sure you've all heard about it. I don't believe for a minute that you have nothing to say." She said with bitter amusement.

"You were too harsh." Peter.

"I understand your point of view." Lily.

"You could've at least let him talk." James.

"He didn't deserve a word." Char.

"Where is he?" Me.

"I _was_ too harsh, I lost control." Sofi, always sensitive towards others. "I'm still mad, but I've calmed down a bit. I haven't seen him since."

"That's not good." James.

"Well I think it's more concerning that _we_ haven't seen him. He wouldn't go straight to Sofi, for sure."

"Well. I really have _no_ desire to be a part of this conversation." Sofi said, and went up to the dorm. As if on cue, as soon as she disappeared, Sirius entered, and I had a sneaking suspicion it had to do with a certain enchanted map.

"I'm not going to talk about it, so don't bother me with questions. I'm going to bed."

"This is bad." Peter.

"_Really_ bad." Alice.

"Unfixable bad?" Lily.

"I hope not." James.

"It'll take a while." Char.

"We have to try." Me.

A/N _That'll be my last chapter for a while, unless I'm luck striken. But don't get your hopes up. I may not even try if I dont get any reviews. I mean, I only have eleven. That's pathetic, people, I'm hungry for more!_


	8. Chapter 8

A/N _As it turns out, I will be able to update from my vacation spot. Just so long as I have internet. So I'll try. This chapter begins in third person, hope you like it; please review!_

The next three weeks were different for everybody. James and Lily were settling into their new relationship, and everybody was having trouble getting used to seeing them so… smitten. In both groups, meaning the marauders and Lily's group of four, the debacle between Sirius and Sofi was never mentioned or hinted at if either of them were around; though, sometimes, if they weren't, their friends would sparingly discuss ways to fix it. So far they hadn't come up with much, and though they still talked about it sometimes to try and find a better plan, they somewhat decided it would fix itself eventually.

Sirius still loved Sofi. He learned to live with the heartbreak though, like his younger brother slowly becoming a Death Eater, or his family abusing him, it was always at the back of his mind, but there were times he could ignore it. However, when he went to Slughorn's dungeons every Monday and Thursday and had to work with a bitingly indifferent and disconcertingly distant Sofi, he felt the hurt all over again. It was a new sensation to him, and he hated it. He hated that he needed to see her every day, even though he suffered all throughout. He knew James would empathize if he talked to him, because of all the years he went through the same thing, but it all worked out for James, and Sirius had a bitter suspicion that things would not work out as well for him.

Sofi lived in indecision. Not about what to do, but about what to feel. Every once in a while she would bathe in regret for turning away Sirius and not being his friend anymore. She thought, _but what if he was telling the truth? What if he did like me, and I ruined it by shouting at him, embarrassing him, ignoring him? What if I ruined everything?! _But after that, she would slap herself back into what she thought was reality. Sirius has never liked anyone, why should she be the first? She couldn't think of herself to be so important, it wasn't in her nature. Still, every time she saw Sirius she would fall into that same cycle. Doubt, regret, reassurance that sounded false, then all around confusion. The sight of his face, his perfect, beautiful, face, just set it off, and she couldn't control it. It set off a feeling inside her that made her wish with every fiber of her being that he _had _been telling the truth when he told her he liked her. Then she would think, but even if he was I blew it! And it would start: cycling around and around, never stopping, leaving Sofi feeling confused and unhappy all the time, which didn't make her very good company.

Sofi's friends had of course noticed the change in attitude. Yes, Sofia had always been shy, but when it was just the four of them, she opened up. Where as now, she acted closed off all the time. Charlotte, Alice, and Lily had attributed the new, more unpleasant, Sofi to the Sirius debacle, and though they were right to an extent, they didn't know the half of it, because Sofi didn't care to share with them the nature of her confusion. They were frustrated by her silence, but were afraid to ask her what was wrong. They tried to engage her, but failed all too often. They had noticed it was worse after a block of Potions: she wouldn't say a word, and if she did, it would be to snap at someone who had interrupted her obviously rapt thoughts. She was, though, excited for the Halloween Ball, which was the center of many of their conversations. One night, they had stayed up late talking about it, not keeping any candles lit, for fear of someone seeing. Besides, the full moon provided light enough. They were so engaged that even Sofi joined in for a while.

"So, full plan: We get our dresses tomorrow at Hogsmeade, then make any changes we need to over the next five days. Then, on Friday, we start getting ready at six, and hour before hand, that means hair, make up, shoes, all of which are open to friend-criticism, of course. And Char, you are not allowed to do your own hair or make up." Alice, in her element, had been ranting for hours. Charlotte groaned.

"I can't believe I have to wear a _dress._ And I'm not wearing anymore make up than I normally do," She said defiantly. Alice cackled.

"Char, you wear eyeliner. You'll be wearing more than that. Why are you so afraid of being a girl?" Alice said. Sofi laughed.

"Char's the most womanly one hear, with all the guys she's fucked!" She said with a small grin. All the girls were overjoyed she was talking at all, and this was the first joke from her they had heard in a long time. They all smiled, even Lily, who usually condoned foul language.

"You know it!" Char said.

"If fucking is what makes you a woman now, not shoes, or make up, or PMS, than I'm due for a mid-life crisis," Alice said, with mock worry on her face.

"I'm sure Frank would be more than happy to make you a woman. And you know, if you get tired of Frank, than _I'm_ more than happy to set you up with someone." Char was joking, always, and Alice laughed with her. Their laughter grew and Lily and Sofi joined them. Soon the four of them were in stitches. Sofi momentarily considered how nice it felt to laugh with her friends, with people who of course loved her, and always would. They laughed until each of them fell into a heavy sleep, filled with dreams of dresses and masks and Halloween. They slept soundly, and undisturbed, even Sofi. That is—until a house elf from the kitchens by the name of Ollie woke her up.

Sofia:

"Mistress Sofia needs to wake now, she does! Master Lupin and his friends need her help!"

"What? What's going on? What time is it?

"It is five-thirty, Mistress. Ollie was sent to retrieve Mistress Erosa, she must come with Ollie! She must!"

I was thoroughly confused as I climbed out of my bed. Ollie wrapped his long elf fingers around my hand and led me out of the common room, sleepy, undressed, and completely lost as to what was happening. Finally, we when we stopped, it was in front of the tapestry of the dancing trolls. (A/N _I know its not trolls, I just looked for like half an hour—no I do not have a life, actually—couldn't find it. Should anyone care to tell me what that tapestry is of, I'd love you forever.) _Ollie paced in front opposite wall three times, and then a door appeared there. I had been at Hogwarts for six previous years at that point, and still I was amazed by all the secrets this castle held. Ollie and I went through the door, and behind it was a sight to see. On the far wall to the left held a small, but over flowing bookshelf, on the other far wall, sat glass cabinets filled with potions and gauze etcetera. The middle drew my eye more though. There were four beds and in them laid four limp and bloody forms; they were misshapen, and—I wouldn't say mangled, but almost so. I didn't immediately recognize them, but I saw Peter Pettigrew in the far bed, and I knew the other three could be no one other than the marauders. My eyes immediately scanned again to find Sirius, and I was horrified to see him, wearing only a pair of ripped slacks, deep gashes all over his skin, and his face looking as if it had been thrust into the ground numerous times. My heart wrenched at the sight of him, and it was painful, also, to see the other three were in no better conditions.

"What—what happened here?" I asked to no one in particular. Remus stirred, Sirius turned not to face me, Peter turned toward me, but was clearly not going to answer, and James cleared his throat to speak breathlessly, he sounded as bad as he looked.

"Sofi, Remus is a werewolf. The three of us taught ourselves to be Animagi in fifth year so that we could spend full moons with him. Madame Andale knew all about it, but the new girl doesn't and we weren't sure whether or not to tell her. You're the only healer we trust." He said softly.

"I—I'm not a healer, yet—I can't—I can't do things like this, I mean, I don't know…" I was scared. I didn't feel capable of anything, though I knew I was.

"Sofi, stop. I trust you. We all do. You can do this." At this, his eyes closed, and I think he lost consciousness.

I ran over to the bookshelf and found an entire book on lacerations and the infections that might occur with them. I found another about werewolf bites, and one about pain relief. I skimmed through to find what I needed. When I needed something lacking to the large glass cabinet, it would soon appear on a bedside table. What _was_ this room? I soon finished, I had done the best I could to help them, but I couldn't leave them. A large chair appeared by Sirius' bed, and I sat down and watched him sleep.

He looked worried, harrowed, and it upset me to see him like that. I cared for him so much, even if he didn't care for me. But did he?_ No! _I told myself quickly. _You can't start that now!_ I changed my line of thought to the information James quickly mumbled to be when I had arrived. Remus really was a werewolf. I guess in the back of my mind I had always suspected it, but never gave it too much thought. I never thought it could do so much damage! And the fact that his friends risked their lives monthly in order to comfort him was a true act of love. I knew my friends would do that for me, but I sure hoped I'd never find out. How does one become an Animagus, anyway? I wondered the variables that would change when healing, and a book about just that appeared in my lap. Perfect, a good distraction from Sirius. (The only thought that crept to me almost as much as worry for his health was the thought of just how perfect his body was). I fell back asleep in that chair, reading that book, next to Sirius, and I realized how happy I was doing it.

Sirius:

It had been one of the worst full moons yet. Moony was out of control that night, he attacked all of us, we had to fight back, but we all hated it. Wormtail could hardly defend himself. When finally, Remus was human again, we made our way back to the castle, knowing we couldn't go to the hospital wing.

"What are we going to do?" an exasperated James asked me. I knew the answer, but I didn't like it.

"Send a house elf for Sofi. She can heal, remember?"

James gave me a look that said he knew my pain, but out loud said only "Okay." As soon as we got to the Room of Requirement, I collapsed on the bed that appeared, laid there until Sofi arrived. She muttered, horrified "What—what happened?" I turned away; I couldn't face her. Not yet. When I woke, it was worth it to have such an awful night. I got to wake up and see Sofi next to me. She was wearing large, baggy pants, and a somewhat indecent tank top, but I couldn't see anything because there was a book (_Healing with Animagi_) resting on her chest. She slept soundly, her mouth slightly agape. Still, she was beautiful to me. Her dark hair fell messily out of its bun at the nape of her neck, and her bangs were completely in her eyes, something she didn't let happen when her large black eyes were open.

I laid in bed for a while and watched her. Peter and James eventually got up, but I knew Remus would be bed ridden for a few days. James went to wake Sofi, and part of me wanted to leave before that happened, but I couldn't. I couldn't do it.

"Sofi," He said, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. Oh, how I wished that were my own hand. She didn't respond after a few calls of her name. "So-fi-a! Get up, Shorty, it's morning!" He shook her gently, but she still only stirred.

"Sofi?" I said louder than I would have wished. At my voice, she immediately opened her eyes. After blinking a few times, and stretching (I averted my eyes, perhaps I was being polite, but the book wasn't there anymore, and mostly I think I couldn't take it), she looked at us all, one by one. Resting her eyes at last on me. I saw in those black depths something that might have been regret, but I think I was only imagining it. James spoke quickly.

"Sofia, I'm so sorry that we woke you last night, and poured all that information on you at once, then made you work under so much pressure, I know it must've been awful, but we didn't know what else to do, you were the first person we thought of."

"James, it's fine, really, I learned a lot. And I'm glad I know about this now, I would've helped you earlier, and I can be here every month, if you need me."

"We couldn't ask that of—"

"Don't be stupid. You would have died without someone here!"

"Sofi. I—thanks." You could hear the gratefulness in his tone.

"I'm always here for you guys." Now her piercing black eyes bore into my own. James saw, and beckoned Peter to leave with him, leaving Sofi and I alone with a sleeping Remus.

"How do you feel?" She asked quietly.

"Fantastic, actually. Thank you for doing this, Sofi."

"Oh, it wasn't anything." She looked down, took in a deep breath and said: "Sirius, I don't know what to do about us."

"What do you mean?" I was taken aback by the comment, not expecting something so direct. But with Sofi, I suppose I should have.

"I mean I hate not being friends with you, but I don't know what to think!"

"Sofi, I meant it when I said I liked you." I put as much sincerity as I could into it.

"I want to believe it. But I—I just can't bring myself to!" She wanted to believe it. There was hope for me. I was elated at this alone, but didn't, couldn't show it.

"You can take your time, Sofi, I'll wait for you." And I knew it was true, and so did she. There was no one else for me here while Sofi was so close. Of course not.

"Well, I better get back to the dorm before Lily and them wake up and wonder where I am," She said, awkwardly finishing the conversation while checking on Remus one last time, and walking through the door, not looking back. I would wait, of course, but how long would I have to?

A/N _Also, I love the reviews from everybody, I do. However, I've been getting a lot of 'i like it alot's. now, I thank all who wrote this, it means a lot to me. HOWEVER. it just happens to be my biggest pet peeve in the entire world when people write a lot as one word. a lot has a space between it, because it is a phrase, not a word. TWO WORDS. sorry to be the bitchy grammar nazi. i make numerous mistakes, i know. i just am hoping to strain that particular error, because i cringe every time i look at my reviews._


	9. Chapter 9

A/N _I may have had too much fun with this. I do enjoy writing about Charlotte, and in most of this chapter we delve into the inner most baffling corners of her mind. It actually gets a little annoying. Sorry. Oh yeah, and I do own Charlotte and Sofi, but nobody else. The thought makes me sad sometimes. _

Charlotte:

The Halloween Ball was the next day. Lily and Alice were giddy, and even Sofi was acting up. The last time she was moping was the morning we went to Hogsmeade. She looked like she got no sleep, and she snapped at us each in turn. That day had been the worst yet, but since then it hasn't been too bad. Even that day she was lifted considerably by finding the perfect dress to match her mask.

My dress was perfect, of course. It was a knee length, strapless dark violet dress that shaped my figure beautifully, and made me glow! Ah, I need a little self doubt in my life.

The day after Hogsmeade, at Quidditch practice, Sirius asked me about Sofi.

"How is she?" he said, looking worried.

"Umm, fine, I guess. I mean, she's been better since yesterday."

"Since yesterday? That's odd." He started to fly away, but I caught his arm.

"Why is that odd? What happened?"

"Oh, nothing. I mean--no. Nothing happened."

Four days later and I still hadn't figured it out. I didn't try too hard, but I did try. Tuesday, I asked Sofi: "What happened the night before Hogsmeade, Sofi? I mean you looked really tired." She responded the same way Sirius did.

"What? No, nothing happened." She was trying in vain to sound casual. "I just couldn't sleep."

On Wednesday, I even asked James, who looked at me with a small smile and asked "Why?" To which I said "Sofi and Sirius have been acting kind of weird since." Not entirely true, but not a lie, either. He didn't answer, just walked away, rather rudely.

Now, I was lying on my four poster, thinking about it again, and getting frustrated. I had been completely filled in on the Sirius-Sofi Situation from the beginning, and now, no one cared to let me know what was going on? Ridiculous! Super ridiculous, even! Dare I say it, _ludicrous!_

But Alice walked in just then and switched my mind back to the masquerade tomorrow.

"So, do you plan on doing anything with your hair besides the oh-so-tired pinning it back?"

"What do you mean, tired? It's practical! It keeps it out of my eyes!" I said defensively. Sofi joined in.

"Hair in your eyes is _in _now, Char, get with it!" She said jokingly, brushing her bangs from her eyes, again.

"There's no way that doesn't get annoying!"

"Beauty is nuisance," Sofi said, turning her nose up pointedly.

"The saying goes beauty is _pain,_ Sofi. _Pain," _Alice said, chuckling at her mistake. Oh, Sofi and her English errors. She used to get really upset if we corrected her. Her English had always been a touchy subject, the one thing that could get Sofi really upset. But this year she's been much less sensitive about it. I think it was because she started speaking without an accent. I know from her letters over the summer she worked very hard. She wrote a lot over the summer. She got bored easily in Spain, with no friends or anything. I visited her once after fifth year, and man, was that a disaster. Her mom could hardly speak English, and Sofi had to do all the translating. I don't think her mother liked me very much. It could not have helped that I _accidentally _broke her antique vase on their veranda when I tossed to a Quidditch-incompetent Sofi the quaffle. I still say it was her fault. I clearly warned her. Plus, it was a good riddance anyway because that vase was hideous! Wait, what was going on?

"Assonance aside, you cannot change a saying!" Alice was saying.

"Well, English is just stupid," Sofi replied.

See, I missed an entire chunk of that conversation. Unbelievable. These mind rants of mine had to stop. Extremely destructive. One time, in History of Magic, Professor Binns was going on and on and I couldn't help but-- _damn it!_ I mean it, control yourself!

The lights turned out then, I must have missed the conversation that allowed this, but I was sleepy, so I didn't mind.

The next morning was the day of the dance, the ball, the _masquerade! _Hooray! Most teachers understood that no one would focus through their classes, so we did mostly easy things.

I regret not taking Potions. Now that James, Lily, and their disgusting PDA had become old news, Sirius and Sofi were the couple that everyone wanted to see get together. They were _it_. Heh. Not really. No one is _it _at Hogwarts. What is the essence, exactly, of being _it?_ It doesn't matter, Charlotte, get your mind out of the gutter. Ew, why would you address yourself as Charlotte, no one calls you that. Good thing, too, it's an awful name. What in God's name possessed my mother to pick a name so girly when my brothers and sisters turned out so... not girly? Ah, eloquent as usual, Charlotte. And there it is again. Maybe it just seems more official, like, I'm too important to address myself by a nickname. Like a document. I am an official document. What? How would that work? That'd be awful, to live life as parchment. Poked and prodded at by dripping quills all day. Just awful.

Right, Sirius and Sofi. They were forced to interact in Potions, and I never got to see it. I had to be filled in second hand by Lily or sometimes Remus. Today, I sat in History of Magic (unfortunately a required course for curse breakers. Lame!) wishing I was with the rest of my friends in Potions. The only Seventh year Gryffindor in HOM with me was Emma Landour, and to be quite honest, she's not a pleasing company. Unfortunately, though, she is under the impression that we're friends. I do not know who told her this.

"My dress is a really nice pale gold color, I really think it brings out my eyes," She was saying in her nasally voice.

"Your eyes are blue," I blatantly pointed out. Listening to her was hardly better than listening to Binns. The lesser of two very evil evils.

"I know, but the contrast does it. Ella's dress is actually blue, and really her eyes just blend in." Blah, blah, blah. One of those mind rants would be useful now. Go... nothing. DAMN THE WORLD!

"So when the Goblins thought the house elves would be a good ally, they were clearly mistaken. They found this out the hard way in 1879, the same year, if you'll check your notes, that..."

"And I got my shoes in this cute little muggle shop near my house. My parents sent them over by owl. They're just _so cute!_"

At this point, I found myself wondering what, in the name of all that is holy had I done to deserve this torture! Then the class was over, I sighed deeply in relief and sprinted down to the dungeons to meet the marauders and Lily and Alice and Sofi. Normally, Sofi is the worst after Potions, but the dance always lifts her spirits. And then there's whatever happened Saturday night that I totally missed. What could've possibly happened that _I_ didn't deserve to know about?

Wrapped up in my thoughts, again, I ran straight into Sofi. We both fell to the ground, but it was Sofi, that Sirius rushed to help up.

"Are you okay? Here, let me get your books!" I exchanged a questioning glance with Remus for a 'I'll tell you later' glance. Also, I made eye contact with him, _from the ground_ and he still didn't help me up. Bitch. No, Remus was actually the nice marauder. Still, I would have appreciated a helping hand.

Sirius didn't speak to Sofi again on the walk back. Nor did she speak to him, and it seemed more or less back to normal. But I, Charlotte Ellis, catcher of all, the most observant witch in all the land, knew it was not.

Passing the library, I told the group I needed a book, and Remus said he did too. As the large oak doors closed, I turned to Remus.

"What's going on?"

"They seemed... civil, today in Potions. They weren't as tense. I don't know what it was, but something changed. Though, as far as I know they still didn't talk about anything but Potions."

"Well, whatever changed, it happened last Saturday," I said looking to the side, still unsatisfied.

"What? What about last Saturday? I mean, where was Sofi? She was _with _Sirius? She was with _Sirius?_" AAGGH!

"You too? I don't know what happened, but when I asked them about it, both tensed up and gave similar answers. That's definitely when things changed though," I told him. He looked worried. This was so frustrating!

"Oh, well, I wouldn't worry about it," He said, and then went for the smoothest, the most subtle of all subject changes: "But anyway. About that ball tonight, eh? Who are you going with?" I sighed. This topic wouldn't come up again with Remus.

"Aah, a sixth year Hufflepuff. He's kind of cute, in an awkward kind of way. The first to ask me, at any rate," I said, sounding as if I didn't care. Which I did not. I wasn't one for going on actual dates. I liked the 'hey, you want to snog for a while?' kind of relationship. It worked for me.

Remus and I talked about the dance until we got to Defense, where the rest of everybody were already seated.

"Sirius, what was that in the hall before?" I asked before I could stop myself.

He sighed. "I just explained this to James. I was just helping a friend up. Nothing significant." He sounded very annoyed. Why not make it worse?

"I see. Helping a _friend _up. And, Sirius, dear, who exactly are you taking to the masquerade tonight?" I put my best knowing smile on my face. He glared at me.

"No one. I-- I put it off to the last minute. No one is available." Unconvincing.

"For _the _Sirius Black?" I said, "Try again."

"Whatever. I'll meet someone there." Downright lying, I could see it in his droopy grey eyes. How sad for him.

A/N _Third Person again!_

That night before the ball, the school readied themselves. James had a mask that matched Lily's: a thin gold thing that covered just around his eyes. His dress robes were black, with some gold thrown in, and Lily's gown was a corresponding gold.

Peter was wearing a full face dark green mask with robes to match. Sirius had decided to wear completely black robes, with some white here and there, and a plain black mask that went down the length of his long nose. Remus was wearing a red mask over half of his face that reminded him of _The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde _by Stevenson; his robes were just plain dress robes.

Alice was sporting a long ivory gown and a glittering green mask that flew of the sides of her face. Charlotte's mask matched her violet dress in that it was simple, solid, and covered hardly anything of her face. Sofi's mask was almost the same as Sirius', but white. This was not planned, of course, but their friends may have noticed, and failed to mention it, hoping it would spark some conversation between the two. Her black-as-night dress was a strapless gown that fell the floor elegantly covering her three inch heels that made her the same height as Charlotte for once.

As each of the eight descended the marble staircase, they each felt thoroughly prepared, but not one of the eight could have anticipated what would happen.

A/N _What a clincher, I know! I figured it was necessary for a filler chapter. The next chapter WILL be eventful. Also, unless things go hideously wrong, it'll be the last chapter. So review while you still can! ¿Por favor?_


	10. Chapter 10

A/N _Hey, readers! Thanks for being readers! Thanks especially to those of you who took the time to review. To Shellaphant: thanks, and James was a seeker in the movies, but a chaser in the books. Also, I like your penname. Anywho. Enjoy!_

Sofia:

As I descended the marble staircase, I thought to myself: how did Alice get me in these heels? No wonder I'm so late. I'll bet I trip at least seven times tonight. Though, they did make me a good three inches taller, the same height as Char, despite her insistence of me 'cheating'. With this mask on, with my new height, I wasn't Sofia Marie anymore. Sofia Marie never caught anyone's attention. But that night, entering the Great Hall, (which had been decorated fabulously) I saw numerous heads turn, I saw one girl ask her ogling date, "Who is _that?_" with contempt that only jealousy could create in her venomous voice. I smiled. If only Sirius could see me now.

My smile fell as I thought back to that night in the Room of Requirement. "I meant it when I said I liked you," he had said. It sounded so sincere, like he wanted nothing more than for me to know what he was saying was the truth. But no, I didn't want to think about Sirius tonight. Because tonight, it wasn't just Sirius who wanted to shag me. Ha!

Where were my friends? I see Alice with a visiting Frank Longbottom, both looking happier than they had been in a long time, neither had eyes for anyone but the other. I shouldn't interrupt. There was Lily and James, in their matching masks, looking almost as smitten. James whispered something in her ear, and she let out her loud, melodic laugh. He smiled down at her, before pulling her into a kiss. They wouldn't do good to interrupt either. I saw Char finally, dancing with a boy who was not at all her date, who I saw sulking in a corner. Poor... him. I was just feeling lonely when a tall, dark skinned boy in green dress robes asked me to dance. He was very cute, at least, what I could see of him. His mask covered a great deal of his face.

We danced for about ten minutes or so, when a boy in red robes and half a red mask approached us at the start of a new song. "May I cut in?" The other boy, whose name I never got, nodded, and stepped back. I, of course, recognized the voice as that of Remus Lupin.

"Hey, Remus!"

"Sofi," He said with a smile. "You look amazing."

I blushed, though I knew, for once, it was true. "Thank you. How did you know it was me?"

At this Remus laughed, "I over heard you telling him that you wished they would play more American music."

I laughed with him. "Oops. That _would_ be a dead give away, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, though, I must say, the height threw me for a loop." I lifted up the skirt of my black dress (enchanted not to get dirty) and showed him my giant high heels. He cringed, I laughed.

"They look worse than they are, I promise," I told him, chuckling.

"They look like they're eating your feet," He said in a mock-disgusted/fearful voice, as he was laughing too.

"Yes, well, I'M TALL, so, it's quite worth it." We laughed together more. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Well, much better. I must thank you again for the other night, Sofi, you're quite as capable as Andale," He said with a small smile. I smiled my thanks back, but it fell quickly thinking of that night again. "By the way, did something happen between you and Sirius that night while I slept? I mean, things have been a little less tense..." He said. He wasn't being nosy or anything, just curious for his friends. Still, I wish he hadn't asked. I looked down, tears forming in my eyes. _No, Sofi, not tonight!_

"He- well, no. Nothing out of the ordinary, that is. I mean, he told me he did like me again, but-- oh, I just don't know," I said. I was so confused. I put my head on Remus' shoulder, he put his hand on my back consolingly.

"He _does _love you, Sofi. Really," He told me. Why couldn't I believe it? Why couldn't I accept it as the clear truth? I suppose I hated myself too much to really believe that _I _was the one Sirius Black actually loved.

The song ended as I sniffed. And Remus said, "Well, I wouldn't want to hog you. I'm sure there's a line to dance with you by now," And he left with a wink. Sure enough, another guy came up to me to dance. After three dances with three separate men, I made my way over to the drink table, where Char was, back with her now smiling date, in her tiny purple dress, making small talk. I approached her.

"Hey, Sofi! I was watching you out there, you're quite popular!"

"That's not creepy at all," I said, giggling. She hit me on the back of the head.

"You'll mess up my hair!" I said in an psuedo-indignant high pitched voice. We laughed.

"That is quite the up-do, did Alice do that?" My hair was piled on the back my head in a bundle of heat-made curls, a few hanging loose.

"Yeah, and it bloody hurt!"

"I know what you mean, she spent forty five minutes on my hair, I'm not used to having it up. It's weird."

A Weird Sisters' song came on, and Char's date said "Come on, Char, let's dance," and she followed him eagerly to the dance floor, shooting me an apologetic smile. I stood there not for two minutes before another guy approached me. I was actually enjoying the attention that night, despite myself. This boy had messy black hair, a sweetly crooked smile, and was dressed in black and white robes, and a black mask that matched my own.

Sirius:

I stood with Remus and Peter and watched James run off to meet Lily. Loser. It had been ten minutes and already I was bored. Social events weren't nearly as fun now that I wasn't interested in any of the girls. I hadn't seen Sofi at all, but I knew she was here. I bet she looked beautiful. I had no doubt I would recognize her, even if she was wearing a mask.

Then the impossible happened, as I was distracted from my thoughts. I forgot about Sofia. A girl was coming down the marble staircase, wearing a black gown with no straps that went all the way to the floor, and covered her feet. Contrastingly, she was wearing a white mask that was the same nose-length as my own. She had curly black hair in a bun on the back of her head. She was the most beautiful person I had seen in a long time. She did look a lot like Sofi, which may have had something to do with my attraction to her, but as she walked past me, I could see she was taller than Sofi was, and Sofi had straight hair. I liked how short Sofi was, but this girl was great too.

I followed her into the Great Hall, and saw the heads turn as she went. She looked around for a while, before another boy asked her to dance. I couldn't watch the two of them together, I went to find Remus again. After about ten minutes of looking, I found Peter, who was looking sulky.

"Where's Remus?"

"Hmph. Went off to dance with some girl," Peter looked almost mad. "Left me here. I just asked someone, but she flat out turned me down!"

"Aw, cheer up, Wormy. And Remus? With a girl? Blasphemy!"

"Thanks, Sirius, you're a real comfort."

"What can I say? I'm a giver!"

We went to go sit down when a girl in a red dress asked me to dance, I could see the jealousy in Peter's face.

"Uh, _I'm_ waiting for someone, but, my friend here is free to dance," I told her. She shrugged and made her way to the dance floor with Peter. The down side to helpping my friend was that I was now completely alone. I sighed. Then, Remus came up. Excellent.

"Peter said you went off dancing with some girl, who?" I inquired with a smirk on my face.

Remus sighed. "No one important."

"Well that's no fun," I complained.

"That's life."

"Quite the optimist today?"

"Speaking of pessimism, have you seen Sofi tonght?"

My smile dropped. "No," I said not meeting his eye, "Why?" I meant why would he bring that up? Why would he ruin my mood? But he thought I meant why are you asking? As if I'd ever be so boring.

"I just saw her, she looks very nice," keep going, Remus, I dare you.

"What's she wearing?"

"You'll recognize her."

"I hate you."

"But then, what _would _you do without me?" Remus said finishing his drink, looking satisfied. I decided to go get one myself, and when I looked to the drink table I saw her. Not Sofi, the girl in the black dress and white mask. I remembered telling Sofi that I would wait for her, and I had no intention of breaking this promise, but I could have some fun, could I not? I could bask in the fact that there is at least one person almost as beautiful as Sofi. I walked up to her, she was just standing with her drink, she was watching a blur of purple move away from her, I don't know who it was.

"That's a nice mask," I said, arriving at her side. She looked over at me with a small smile.

"Copycat," She said quietly.

"A thousand apologies, but matching outfits aside, may I dance with you?"

"Wouldn't it be a waste to say no?" There was something all too familiar in her smile.

* * *

Sofia:

And it would have been a waste to say no. He was all too sweet and all too talented on the dance floor, and his overall manor reminded me of Sirius'. He was as tall as Sirius, and had black hair, maybe less shaggy, but he wasn't as tense as Sirius. Or at least, the post-kiss Sirius. I scolded myself for comparing every guy I've been with to him. It wasn't healthy. The point was, the man holding me as the slow song started _was not _Sirius, and yet, as I closed my eyes and leaned into his warm chest, I found myself wishing he was.

* * *

Sirius:

I held her in my arms as the slow music played. She felt fragile, like if I squeezed too tight, I would break her into a million pieces. I still didn't know her name, or anything about her. But together we danced through about five songs, after which, we went back to the drink table for a break. Before we went back to dance, I stopped her and asked her her name to which she replied. "No. No names. I'm having fun, and I don't want it to become too real. It'll be ruined." I couldn't help but agree with her, this stranger. Because with her, I didn't worry about Sofia, here was this newer version of her. Maybe not as short, or shy, but she was certainly as funny, and sweet, and this girl didn't hate me.

* * *

Sofia:

Everything about him reminded me of Sirius, and I think it was for that reason that I spent so much time with him, it was like being with Sirius, without having to worry about the tension or any of the shit that had gone on in the last month or so. I didn't want to leave, but I also didn't want to take it with me when I did. That's why I didn't want to tell him my name, because he wasn't Sirius and I knew Sirius was who I wanted, so I would apologize tomorrow, and not worry about this boy I still don't know. At one point, we were both very tired, and very hot, and decided to take a walk on the grounds. We were walking for a while in silence when we came to the Black Lake. He starting speaking not looking at me.

"Look, I've been having fun tonight, but I think it's better if we don't see each other afterwards," he said staring at our reflections in the dark water of the lake.

"I agree," I told him, almost sad about it. "Is there anyone else for _you?_" I emphasized to imply I had someone else, which, in a way, I did.

"Yes. She's the most beautiful, sweetest, funniest, most talented person I know. But she's made it clear that she doesn't like me as much, I suppose I should forget her, but. . . I jut can't." I could tell from his voice how much he loved her, she was iucky.

"I do as well. I hurt him, though, and I am determined to apologize. I can't believe I was so stupid."

"I promised I would wait for her, and I will, because she is worth it." It hit me then. I couldn't believe I had been so stupid not to have noticed that this man in front of me was Sirius, I couldn't believe I didn't piece it together. The moon shone over us and I saw his beautiful grey eyes and could've slapped myself for not noticing earlier. I thought about the things he had just said, and finally, I believed him. He told this to a complete stranger, someone ambiguous, because he didn't know it was me. I still had no doubt he loved the girl he'd been talking about. Me.

I kissed him.

He seemed very surprised, and he pushed me off. Only I knew the irony that the same situation had already happened, the roles switched.

"Did you not just hear me?! I mean--"

"Sirius," I said softly, and removed my mask. This time it was he who kissed me. Our third kiss, and this time, neither pushed the other off at all.

* * *

Sirius:

"I promised her I would wait for her, and I will, because she is worth it." With this I knew that I had only been with this girl because she was so like Sofi. I imagined Sofi inside, dancing with some stranger, I told myself I had to leave this girl and find Sofia. However, the girl interrupted me by pressing her soft lips against mine. It was sheer bliss for a fraction of a second, but I remembered this girl wasn't Sofi, and I pushed her off me.

"Did you not just hear me?! I mean--"

"Sirius," she said. After the short surprise of her knowing my name, I recognized the voice. I recognized the patient tone, the sweet sound. She needn't take off her mask. But when she did I more clearly saw her large black eyes and felt elation as I remembered her words from earlier, as I remembered she'd just kissed me! And I had pushed her away. But surely that could be reconciled. . . .

* * *

Third Person:

It had been half an hour since Sirius and Sofi had left the castle. None of the other three marauders, nor Sofi's friends had seen them go, nor had they seen them since. They had congregated in the entrance hall, to talk outside of the shouting and music.

"Hey have you guys seen Sirius?" James asked Charlotte.

"He's gone too?" Alice said, incredulous.

"The last time I saw him, he was going to get a drink," Remus said.

"The last we heard of Sofi, Char left her at the drink table," Lily said slowly.

"They couldn't be together? Could they?" Peter asked. The seven of them (the six friends, plus Frank Longbottom, who refused to leave the side of Alice, who refused to let him) looked at each other, all afraid to deny the possibility, but each also hesitant to accept it. They needn't say anything though, because at that moment, the large doors in the entrance hall opened, and in came Sirius, laughing loudly, and carrying an also in stitches Sofia. They stopped laughing upon seeing their friends, Sirius put Sofi down, and the two of them smiled guiltily, then clasped each others hands.

* * *

_A/N This is the last chapter, kind of. I realized typing this that, while some people are okay without it, I need a story of why exactly Sirius was a bachelor in the novels. So, expect an epilogue, and expect it to be sad. Also, please, please, PLEASE review. _


	11. Epilogue

Sirius Black laid on the large plush couch in his flat in London, and reminisced silently about his girlfriend of two and a half years, Sofia Erosa. He thought about her soft black hair she had recently cut short, but she had been gone for a month now, it might've grown a little; he thought of her soft, patient smile, brilliant and charming. He thought of the last time he saw her:

_"Soooo-fi!" He said, pulling her into a hug, and leaning his towering in comparison head on hers, "Don't goooooo!"_

_She laughed, and he gloried in the sound, knowing he wouldn't hear it for so long. "It'll only be a month! And my mother misses me too! You could come if you were only suave enough to get out of work for a month."_

_He pulled out of the hug and gave her an indignant stare. "That's not fair, my boss is _satan!_"_

_"Bosses from hell aside, I'm going to miss you, too," She gave him pouting eyes, and he embraced her again, nuzzling his head in her hair and inhaling her cinnamonny-sweet smell he knew he would miss so much. "Okay, I really have to go, now! I'm fifteen minutes late! Madre will--" He pressed his lips to hers almost forcefully, and she returned the favor, and they stood snogging for another five minutes. "Good-bye, Sirius," She said pulling away, "I love you!"_

_"I love you, too, Sofi, have fun," he said as she twirled and disappeared._

Calculating the hours until her arrival the next morning, he wrapped his hand around the small velvet box in his pocket. He pulled it out and opened it and ran his finger over the beautiful diamond. He admired the silver, goblin made set, and put the box back in his pocket. He was anxious, of course, but he knew she would accept. Sofia and Sirius were made for each other, after all, why wouldn't she say yes? Still, he had exactly the jitters his best friend James had described to him only six months earlier. Those two were due to be married next month, Sirius as the best man, Sofi as the maid of honor.

Outside, he heard dogs barking loudly, and he had a rather silly desire to join him. He hadn't taken his dog form since Sofia left, it reminded him too much of her, and he missed her so. He recalled the first time he transformed in front of her.

_He shrunk to all fours and felt the course black fur covering him. _

_"Oh my goodness!" Sofia squealed at the sight of him. He cocked his head in a questioning gesture at her. "You're a black dog!" He barked his laugh at her, he knew this already. "No! You're a _black dog_!" He questioned her again, he was really confused, now. "Black Dog. As in, Led Zeppelin!" He barked in laughter again as she started to sing, "_Hey hey, mama, said the way you mooove, gonna make you sweat, gonna make you grooove." _His barking laughter continued as he jumped up on the bed with her, and pressed his furry black head against her stomach before becoming a human again and telling her, "You are so very weird," To which she laughed and replied, "Sod off, you know you love it!" He kissed her to prove the undeniable truth in her statement._

He had started to listen to more American music with her, but he hadn't since she left, he missed her too much. That night, he sat on their couch thinking of her, wishing she were with him. Right then, she'd be visiting Charlotte in Ireland, a short day trip before returning home. James had owled a few minutes prior, asking if he was up for a late night trip to Diagon Alley for some ice cream, but he refused. He was more content pretending that he had someone to stay home with.

* * *

It felt like he had only just fallen asleep when he heard an owl tapping at the window again. The sun was shining brightly, and he looked around in vain for any sign of Sofia's homecoming. His expectantly elated face fell. It wasn't like Sofia to be late, what could have delayed her? He knew walking around and looking for her wouldn't make her appear so he walked to the window to get the morning's _Prophet_.

Immediately, the cover headline caught his eye.

_St. Mungo's healer found dead under Dark Mark._

Sirius felt his heart stop beating. He scanned frantically to find the rest of the story, to find the name of the Healer that died, to find reassurance that Sofia would be coming home.

_At a small cottage in Northern Ireland over which He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's sign hung ominously, the body of St. Mungo's healer Sofia Erosa was found killed by the _Avada Kedavra_. The house belonged to traveling curse-breaker Charlotte Ellis, a London Born, who has fled from her home, now missing. Authorities have yet to determine the specific Death Eaters who committed the awful act, or if perhaps it was The Dark Lord himself. They have only discovered that--_

Sirius crumbled up the new paper violently and threw it to the floor of the kitchen that he shared with nobody.

His world had gone to rack and ruin in an instant, leaving a pile of rubble. He was silent for a minute or two; just standing and letting sink in that Sofia, _his _Sofi, would never come back to him.

He kicked the chair he would have sat in to read the remains of the paper to the floor with a grunt of pain and of anger. He screamed, banging his fists against the wall, before turning and leaning his head to it, sliding down to the floor where he crumbled. Put his head on his knees and cried; cried for the first time since he sat in that abandoned old classroom after Sofia had left him. He didn't think then he could feel worse pain. How very wrong he was. For now, Sofia had left him for good, left this world for good. He would never hear her say his name again, never hear her speak; or laugh ever again. He would never again look into the black, benevolent depths of her eyes and think how lucky he was to have her, for he no longer did have her.

He sobbed out loud as he realized that the memories he had been revisiting the night before were all he had left, now. He sobbed louder, for he knew that no more memories were to come.


End file.
